Chance Meetings
by Athena13
Summary: Repeat after me: Noir Never happened, Noir Never Happened.. We know you enjoyed that!Still, it's not what you know, but who...written 19992000
1. Chapter 1

**Chance Meetings**

By Athena13  
Rating: PG13/NC-17; Strong language, sexual content and violence  
Summary: Life is sometimes all about being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time and meeting the wrong people.  
Note: Pretending Noir didn't take place!

Disclaimer: Don't own, want to buy them...no profit being made here!

>>>>>>>  
Chapter 1  
>>>>>>>  
April 19, 1999  
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"I'm sure I speak for the whole table when we wish Tom and Virginia the best of luck and happiness," Harry Lipshitz held his glass up for a toast. Over his glasses he gave Cassandra St. John, Tom's partner, a meaningful look.

"Luck and happiness," Cassy echoed in a low voice along with the rest of the table. Under the table she felt a reassuring squeeze from her date, Doctor Brett Mayron. As she took a sip of her red wine she cast a grateful glance at Brett. She wasn't sure how she was so lucky to find someone like him just when she needed him. When she and Tom had met for lunch a few weekends before and he had broken the news about her engagement she wasn't sure where she was going to find the strength to get through the rest of the day and night and return to work the next day as if her heart hadn't been torn from its chest. But then the luckiest thing had happened on the way out of the restaurant, she got hit by a car speeding through the light.

Lucky normally wouldn't have been the first thing she would call herself after such an incident, but losing consciousness had been a relief considering the torturous thoughts she had been enduring at the time. Thoughts about loss and regret that she had for years refused to engage herself with, for example. The next bit of luck was the sight that greeted her when she had hazily come back to her senses. Leaning over her prone form was a pair of the most incredible gray eyes she had ever seen. After silently running through thoughts ranging from "what happened" to "I was going to burn this shirt anyway" her vision focused and she wondered who was the god running his hands over her body looking for broken bones and internal injuries.

"I'm Doctor Brett Mayron, I'm a surgeon, you've been in an accident. The paramedics are on the way, you'll be fine," she heard his soothing voice from a distance. The funny thing was she believed him. Then she passed out again.

Ultimately, the only casualties from the accident had been her aching head and her clothes. And the driver's license of the reckless teenager who had bashed her.

Brett had turned out to be more than a bystander, he gathered her belongings up and followed her to the hospital where he coincidentally worked. He even called her partner, who was listed as her emergency contact in her wallet. Then, during the night while her head and heart hurt too much to sleep he sat at her bedside and listened to her pour her heart out about her ex-husband and his new engagement. By morning's light Cassy's normal reticence and armor had returned, but in Brett Mayron she had met her match. All attempts to thank him and push him back to a safe distance were easily parried.

Now, three weeks later he sat with Harry and Frannie Lipshitz, Tom and his fiancé Virginia and herself celebrating Tom's engagement at the Hard Rock Café. Tom had chosen the place.

"Beep, beep, beep."

"Hmm," Cassy's reverie was broken by the sound of a pager.

"Excuse me," Brett held up his offending pager and pulled out his cell phone. "Be right back."

"I'll bet," Cassy winked. Though they had been dating for such a short time, Cassy already knew that the beep on a on-call night meant he had to get to the hospital.

Brett affectionately pulled her braid before heading away to make his phone call away from the loud music.

"I can't believe he just did that," Harry shook his head at the sight of his overserious detective having her pony tail pulled by an admirer. "I can't believe you didn't shoot him."

"He's good for me," Cassy said with a smile and a shrug.

"He must be," Harry was obviously trying to come to grips with the image.

"Excuse me," Virginia stood up and headed for the ladies room. Tom resumed his seat after she had gone and refilled his glass.

"I think it's wonderful that both of you are happy at the same time," Frannie looked from Tom to Cassy.

Cassy began to laugh and raised her glass.

Tom looked at her questioningly.

"Sorry," Cassy brought her amusement under control. "Happy at the same time, struck a chord. Very wise observation Frannie."

"I think maybe you've had enough wine," Tom didn't look amused.

"Guess that's why you're my work partner and not my husband or father," Cassy's playful words had a serious undertone. "This is only my third glass all night. He's just not used to seeing me in such high spirits," she explained to the older couple, all good humor restored.

"I'm afraid I have to get to the hospital. Thank you for dinner Harry and Frannie. Tom, congratulations to you and your future bride. Honey, do you want to stay?" Brett segued smoothly between thoughts immediately upon his return, seemingly oblivious to the Tom's stiff expression.

"Actually, I think I've had enough. Virginia," Cassy turned to the returning woman. "All my best. I'm truly happy for you both. Brett must get to the hospital and he's going to bring me along. A sort of doctor's ride-along," she smiled up at her date persuasively. "Frannie, Harry, thank you for dinner. Tom, see you Monday partner."

As they headed away from the table, Brett slipped Cassy's leather jacket around her bare shoulders before they headed out into the breezy spring night.

"She's going to hang out in a hospital waiting room all night?" Virginia's lips curled distastefully.

"She's like a love struck teenager, she doesn't want the evening to end," Frannie explained gently.

"Whatever," Virginia dismissed the topic and slid her hand over her fiancé's knee.

>>>>>>  
April 27, 1999

"Good morning!" Cassandra didn't look up from her desk as her partner took his seat Monday morning.

"You're in good spirits," Tom observed.

"And you're not, late night?" Cassy quirked her eyebrows at her partner before returning to study the case file in front of her.

"Is that the Pedron case?" Tom ignored her teasing.

"Yeah, we've had an interesting break," she said absently as she flipped a page.

"Well," Tom said impatiently a minute later when it became obvious she wasn't going to volunteer the information.

"Ryan, St. John, in my office now," Harry's order prevented Cassy from answering.

"Coffee?" Cassy offered as she dropped the file onto her desk and stood up.

"I think he wants to see us now," Tom pointed out.

"Ten seconds he can wait, coffee?" Cassy shrugged.

"If you want trouble, black," Tom said before obediently heading for their boss's office.

"Where's she going?" Harry asked when only Tom entered and sat down.

"Fetching me coffee," Tom held his palms up to show his innocence. "She wouldn't do that when we were married."

"With that attitude it's no wonder. Just take your time St. John, no need to rush," Harry said sarcastically as Cassy entered with three steaming mugs of coffee.

"I made French Roast, no way I was going to miss this pot. I got you one," Cassy said contritely.

"Sit down," Harry scowled. "I had a call from the Mayor's office this morning you might be interested in, if you have the time St. John. He's putting pressure on about the Pedron case."

"That's not exactly news Harry," Tom pointed out.

"Did you have the time to fill him in St. John?" Harry asked his relaxed looking officer.

"Not yet. I got an anonymous tip this morning on my cellular phone about another body on the Lantana. Panned out. I called Harry and got a search together and found one just where he said it would be," Cassy said with morbid matter-of-factness.

"Another woman?" Tom took a slug of coffee.

"Yes, red head this time," Harry answered. "Right now the age is estimated at thirty. No identification."

"Lantana Municipal Beach, could she have been a patron or, um, employee at the Ritz-Carlton?" Tom asked, referring to the ritzy hotel next door to the beach.

"She wasn't dressed, just like Pedron...and the other victims," Cassy imparted the last bit of information with a smug smile.

"Others?" Tom looked at his partner in surprise.

"Cassy did a little digging over the weekend, she found three more victims with the same M.O. One in West Palm and two more in Fort Lauderdale," Harry informed him.

"So we have a serial killer on our hands," Tom's face hardened. "Why didn't either of you call me?"

Before Cassy could respond Harry cut her off. "Cassy tried, you're phone was off the hook and your cellular was turned off. She convinced me not to go to your place and drag your ass out of bed."

"I didn't..." Tom started to argue but cut himself off with a frustrated sigh. He knew why his phones were disconnected. He cast a guilty look at his partner before looking down at his coffee.

"Cut her some slack Tom, I'm a cop and I couldn't handle being a cop's wife all the time," Cassy offered Virginia a defense.

Tom could understand her desire to be undisturbed, but what if his partner had really needed him? He thought after what happened a few weeks ago she had realized how important it was for him to be reachable. When Cassy had been hit by the car and been unconscious Virginia had turned off his cell phone that day and taken his apartment phone off the hook that night too. As a result he hadn't known about Cassy's accident until the next morning when he checked his voice mail. Luckily, Cassy hadn't been seriously injured or in trouble and Brett had come to her rescue and called Harry for her. Tom felt a shiver down his spine as some of the times when Cassy had called him in real danger from one of their cases flashed through his mind. What if she couldn't get through one of those times?

"Earth to Tom," Cassy pinched his arm to get his attention.

"It won't happen again," Tom informed his partner and his supervisor.

"We'll address that later. Right now you and Cassy are going to West Palm and Lauderdale to talk to the investigators on those cases. We're also running a search on the FBI database to see if there are any cases in other states that match. If there are, we may have the feds in here," Harry warned his detectives.

"Great, love those guys," Tom said sarcastically.

"Hopefully it won't be Xena and Hercules again," Cassy responded.

"Get to work, get to work," Harry shooed the comedy team from his office.

"Sure thing Harry. Since you've been on vacation for most of this, you can go talk to Morton and see what he found," Cassy informed her partner. "I know you needed some penance."

"Gee, thanks. Such a great partner," Tom was clearly not thrilled with being sent off to the morgue alone.

"I set up appointments for us already. I'll go get us a car," Cassy looked smug before flouncing out of the bull pen.

Tom spent a few seconds mimicking his partner's annoyingly cheerful and perky behavior before heading to the morgue.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Rated: PG-13  
1999  
>>>>>>  
Chapter 2  
Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida  
9am  
>>>>>

"So how are things going between you and the doctor?" Tom asked as he stretched out in the passenger seat. They were stuck in traffic on Highway 95 due to an accident and it didn't look like they would be getting to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea anytime soon. So much for deciding to tackle the further case first. The best he could do now was distract his annoyed partner for as long as he could before she remembered that it had been his idea.

"Well," Cassy cast Tom a sideways smile. "Not as well as between you and Virginia apparently."

"I was wondering how long it would be before you pointed _that_ out," Tom sighed, he knew it had taken superhuman effort for Cassy to resist chiding him for getting engaged so quickly.

"When you know you know, I wasn't passing judgment," Cassy patted Tom's knee affectionately before returning it to the steering wheel. Her grin, however, belied her words. She clearly thought Tom was nuts.

"You've got to be kidding," Tom rolled his eyes at the idea of Cassy not passing judgment on his romantic nature. "So you believe in love at first sight and all that? Did that ever happen to you?"

"I was young once. And I guess taking all those years didn't exactly work for us anyway. So I guess you might as well go for it right," Cassy shrugged and looked away.

"And would you? Do you plan to?" Tom finally prompted her, knowing she wasn't going to volunteer any further information.

"This was a brilliant idea!" Cassy slammed her palm on the steering wheel as she looked out at the line of cars in front of and next to them on the highway.

'Oops, wrong diversion,' Tom grimaced. 'Lesson number two from ten years ago, making Cassy talk about herself is not the way to distract her from pointing out when you were wrong!'

"What?" Cassy looked at her partner.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything," Tom told her, wondering if he had spoken out loud or just thought strongly. He didn't bother to point out that she had avoided his question about Doctor.

Cassy's face broke into a satisfied smile as Tom looked away in surrender.

>>>>>>>

"I'm not surprised to find out there are more women like this. Our ME wasn't able to find anything that led anywhere. With other bodies on the beach despite the sand and salt water, if they haven't been out there too long, there's something. Not with this guy," Detective David Sykes was explaining to Tom and Cassy as he rummaged through a tall filing cabinet for the until-then dormant case file. "I had it out after Cassy called me, but put back in here so it wouldn't get lost in the pile on my desk. It's catch up on paperwork week."

"Tom can relate to that," Cassy elbowed her partner playfully while the other officer wasn't looking. There was plenty of files to close out sitting on their desks too.

"Here they are," the older officer pulled out the two files out triumphantly and slammed the drawer shut. "One of these days I'll adopt that system my partner is always nagging me about."

"The alphabet?" Cassy asked with a strange expression on her face.

"Yeah, that one!" Sykes looked at Cassy appreciatively and then winked before turning to lead the partners into an interview room. "Both bodies are already buried otherwise I'd let you have a look at it, the pictures will have to do. Our ME's have already exchanged their reports. They seem to match from the perspective that there's nothing significant in either case, just naked females found on a beach. Same for the case in Palm Beach. Unfortunately I suspect we're going to have to wait for another body before we find anything."

"Not a great prospect," Tom observed as he took the file and began to pull out the pictures and pass them to his partner. "Do you have copies of these we can take?"

"Yeah, we had another set made when your partner called us and copies of the files, now where are they?" Sykes looked around the room trying to remember where he put them. "Marilee should have them."

Cassy couldn't help but be charmed and yet relieved that this man wasn't her partner.

"We'll get them on the way out. We appreciate your taking the time to talk with us and give us copies of your files," Cassy told him.

Tom was still studying the pictures intently.

"Things like this don't exactly do wonders for the tourism industry, we'll welcome anything that will put this to rest," Sykes admitted.

"We get that a lot ourselves," Cassy nodded in agreement. Crimes on the beach didn't jive with the "Come See Florida" ads put out by the beach towns's chambers of commerce. "We still have to get back to Palm Beach and see what they came up with."

"If you need any questions answered, don't hesitate to call. Or stop by. Anytime," Sykes winked again.

"We won't," Tom said dryly as he herded his amused partner out of the office.

>>>>>>>

"I thought you hated sexist cops," Tom commented as Cassy pulled out of their parking spot.

"I do, Sykes was just trying to be...fun. Did you get anything from the pictures? You were studying them pretty closely," she asked.

"Nothing. Usually you can tell if it's a crime of passion or something else. There's just not enough evidence here and the body is too washed out and moved around because of the water," Tom tapped the folder sitting on his knee.

"No clothing to tell what they might have been wearing beforehand and no clothes have turned up in any of the locations either. Presumably the killer is taking the clothes and not dumping them near the body. None of the women seem to have been engaged in anything controversial. We haven't gotten confirmation on our newest case, but Pedron was a secretary. One of the women in Fort Lauderdale was a store clerk and the second was a florist's assistant. Different hair colors. We're going to need to brain storm on this after we get the next file," Cassy's brow was furrowed in thought.

Tom could see her pulling out the mental yellow legal pad. In fact, he couldn't help noticing that her pants suit was almost the same yellow. She really did love those pads.

"Harry said you got a tip on your cell phone?" Tom suddenly remembered.

"I didn't recognize the voice and the call came from a pay phone," Cassy explained.

"Why did they call you? How did they get your phone number or know you working a related case? Did Harry send anyone to check around the pay phone?" he asked.

"First thing. I called him on a land line before I got off the phone. Nothing. Neither of us have been named in the press as on the case yet. Whomever it was had to have been watching," Cassy didn't sound pleased by the prospect.

Tom wasn't either. "Maybe you should stay with me until this is all over," he suggested.

"I bet Virginia would _love _that!" Cassy laughed as pictured the reaction that suggestion would bring.

"Oh yeah. Maybe you could stay with the Doctor," Tom hadn't thought about Virginia when he had made the offer in his worry about Cass.

"There hasn't been any threats, just a phone call. I'll be fine at my place, but thanks for the concern partner," she shot him a quick grateful glance. "We need to dig deeper into these women's backgrounds. Maybe being naked on a beach at night isn't all that uncommon for them. Just because they have sedate day jobs doesn't mean they don't have night jobs or interesting extracurricular activities."

Tom jerked his thoughts back to the case from his wondering as to whether the Doctor would be spending those "safe" nights with Cassy at her town house.

"And we need a cause of death. This one says possible blunt force trauma," Tom skimmed through the medical reports.

"Morton said that Fort Lauderdale and West Palm were going to re-run the chem panels and see if they could find anything. I wouldn't be surprised to find drugs or Rohypnal involved. Naked makes me think sex," Cassy predicted.

"Yeah, me too," Tom waggled his eyebrows at his partner.

"Keep it in your pants Ryan. Read out loud," Cassy requested as she continued the drive north.

>>>>>>

A few hours later the partners were ensconced at their desks in the Palm Beach homicide bull pen where it seemed they would be for an undefined time to come. Spread across the two desks were numerous files, crime scene photos and yellow legal pads.

"I think we could use the feebees in here to do a profile," Tom tossed his pen onto the desk, grimacing when it bounced off the piles of paper and landed on the floor. He didn't bother bending over to pick it up.

"Normally I would say no, but I don't think we can waste any time here. We have five bodies, potentially more and not much time before the next one. We can establish one pattern, the killings are occurring on successive Monday nights. Maybe it has something to do with Monday night football?" Cassy rubbed her brow, an action Tom knew was indicative that his partner needed some fresh air.

"There's no football in the Spring. Come with me for a walk outside," Tom stood up and held out his hand.

With a frustrated sigh Cassy took his hand and let him lead her out of the building. Still holding hands they crossed the parking lot and headed for the beach walk. Neither partner spoke for a few minutes as they took in the fresh air and sunshine and let it dissipate the darkness of their work.

The silence reigned until Cassy slid her hand out Tom's fingers. Taking the signal Tom began to speak again.

"I like your theory about a drug being involved. It is harder to get clothes off dead weight, but if the women were drugged or otherwise convinced to help the killer get their clothes off it would make his job easier. There was evidence of recent sexual activity in one of the Fort Lauderdale victims and the West Palm woman and our two. Maybe the one died before he could finish the job?" Tom theorized.

"Or his parts failed," Cassy, the woman of the duo, suggested when the man couldn't.

"Or that. Someone who couldn't get women any other way and he's angry about it?" Tom suggested.

"Makes sense and its more than we had to work with five minutes ago. So going on that assumption we need to find out where these women were hanging out on a Monday night, without football. We need to look at the interviews again and see what we need filled in. I'm sure Sykes would be more than happy to cover more ground for us," Cassy winked just as the other cop had earlier.

"For you you mean," Tom grumbled and turned to follow his partner back to the station.

>>>>>

"Ryan," Tom lifted the phone on his desk as he kept his eyes on the file sitting on the desk in front of him.

_When will you be home? _

"Hi Sweetheart. Not early, we have a serial killer on our hands. I may have to work all night," Tom said reluctantly when he recognized Virginia's voice.

_Is that why you were just walking on the beach holding your ex wife's hand? _

"Holding hands? I don't remember that. If you were here why didn't you come see me?" Tom averted his head from his partner's line of sight and asked.

_I didn't want to disturb you. If you aren't going to be home tonight I'm going to go out with the girls and I won't be making any dinner._

"All right. Have a good time. I miss you. I love you Honey," Tom whispered the endearments.

_I love you too. See you whenever. _

Tom sighed and hung up the phone. As he looked up he realized his partner had left while he was talking with his fiancé. 'Maybe she went to get us some lunch?' he thought hopefully.

>>>>>>>  
10 pm

Cassy and Tom had long ago stripped down to the bare essentials, jackets and ties and heels had been pushed aside and their work base had been moved to an interrogation room. Now piles of photos, files, medical reports and reference materials were scattered along a much longer table and a couple of white boards and easels with pads of paper had been set up around the room. Another pair of detectives had been assigned to assist them. Two more bodies along the Florida Atlantic coast had been associated with the Palm Beach case. A cooperative effort spearheaded by the Palm Beach team had been established. The FBI was also lending a hand as consultants and their lab was currently rerunning some tests and attempts were being made to have the buried bodies exhumed for further forensic analysis. As of yet, however, no cases outside the State have been found.

"Maybe he has a night job and he's only off on Monday?" Cassy suggested as she stood over Tom who was sitting at the table.

"I dunno," Tom said wearily.

"What about hair dye?" Cassy leaned over Tom's right shoulder to get a closer look at the color photos he had spread out before him of the seven victims.

Tom just sighed.

"Tom?" Cassy put her hand on the back of Tom's neck and said quietly.

"Yeah," he responded in a scratchy voice.

"Do you need a break?" she whispered into his ear so that the other detective in the room wouldn't overhear her solicitous question.

Tom closed his eyes and swallowed before opening his eyes and attempting to answer.

"Yeah, yeah I do," he said shakily and turned his face away from Cassy's too close and too penetrating gaze.

"'kay," Cassy gave Tom's neck a squeeze before sliding her hand over his skin and away. Then she stood up. "We're going to get some fresh air," she informed Detective Engler. Then she slid her hand under Tom's elbow and guided him to a standing position and out of the building.

"It's a nice night," Cassy observed after taking a deep breath of the fresh air. The slight wind was lifting her long hair around her shoulders and head. She reached up absently to smooth it as she watched her partner closely, not bothering to hide her worry as they were alone and in the dark. Something about this case was eating at him and she wasn't sure what it was. She knew better, though, than to ask as he would only deny it. It would take a few more hours before he would get to the point where he would admit a weakness to her.

"Virginia went out with her girlfriends tonight. What's the Doctor doing?" Tom asked.

'So he's upset that he's missing his life and spending time with his fiancé,' Cassy deduced.

"Brett," she stressed his name before continuing, "is on call and staying at the hospital."

"That's good. I mean you're working all night won't bother him," Tom rubbed a hand over the neck Cassy had touched just a few minutes before.

"Virginia upset that you're stuck at work?" Cassy asked.

"Not upset so much, but I don't think she understands sometimes. She takes it personally," Tom admitted.

"I can understand that. It's always hard for people who don't do what we do to understand that you can't go home at five," Cassy definitely understood.

"I guess the Doc...Brett understands," Tom said.

"He does and I understand his work schedule too. It doesn't make it any easier. It's always hard on the relationship when you just can't make the other person a priority," Cassy told him.

"It was easier for us when we were partners and we got to spend all that work time together than when we were married and working with others," Tom remembered.

Cassy shrugged and looked towards the ocean. She just wasn't comfortable comparing their marriage to Tom's impending one. She searched her mind for a change of conversation since she didn't want to discuss the case knowing they had to take a step back even if it was for only ten minutes. "So what sport do people watch on Monday nights in the Spring?" she asked.

"Baseball and basketball, mostly," Tom eased into the new direction without missing a beat. "Until the playoffs, unless there's a big game it not usually a weekly event. I think the job idea is a good one."

"I thought you weren't listening," Cassy smiled.

"Why don't we go back," Tom stopped walking.

'So much for not talking about the case and taking a break,' Cassy nodded and walked back to the department with him.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Rated: PG-13  
1999  
>>>>>>  
Chapter 3  
>>>>>>  
April 28, 1999  
2:30 am  
>>>>>>

"That was Harry. He wants us to go home and get some sleep," Cassy informed her partner as she hung up the phone in the interrogation room where they had been all night.

"I can't argue with that," Tom couldn't even find the energy to nod.

"How about I drive you home and pick you up in a few hours. I don't think you should drive," Cassy offered as she picked up her coat and purse.

"Yeah," Tom sighed and rubbed his bleary eyes before forcing himself into a standing position and dragging his jacket on.

"So what time do you want to come back?" Cassy asked a few minutes later as they headed through the desolate night in her Boxster.

"Want? We should come back at seven," Tom snorted as he slunk further down in the passenger seat.

"Try and get some sleep tonight all right?" Cassy opened her window to let the cool air keep them both awake.

"Then I should stay at your place," Tom mumbled under his breath, but not low enough so that Cassy didn't hear him.

"You're more than welcome," Cassy offered without a hint of the discomfort that flashed across her face betrayed in her voice.

Tom looked down at his hands and thought for a moment. With an expression of resignation he looked over at his partner and accepted her invitation.

Cassy listened to his acquiescence with a heavy heart. Teasing and joking about Tom's sex life with another woman was one thing, to be thrust into the middle of it was quite another. And to know that her house was now considered the safest place by Tom to get some sleep to avoid sex with another woman might have been something a friend could deal with in stride. It was not something, however, that Cassandra St. John was finding very easy to accept in the wee hours of the morning.

>>>>>>>

"You can use the phone to call Virginia if you want," Cassy offered awkwardly as she locked the town house's door behind her and Tom.

"She's probably asleep already," Tom declined the offer with a shake of his head as he too stood awkwardly in the dark living room. The only light was the moonlight reflected on the ocean that came through the french doors.

"I'll go make up the guest room," Cassy finally broke the stalemate and moved past Tom towards the stairs leaving Tom to remain standing in the room alone. With measured steps she forced her tired body up the stairs.

"Wait," Tom suddenly appeared behind her as she stood at the linen closet and was gathering together the linens. "I know where everything is, I'll do this myself. Go to bed."

"Good night Tom," she said, her heart pounding as their bodies slid across each other as she moved away from the closet door and let him take her place.

"Wait," Tom's warm hand closed around her bare arm and stopped her progress away from him down the corridor. Hoping her face and body didn't betray her she turned back and looked at her partner questioningly. She didn't think it was possible but her heart began to beat even faster as his hand remained wrapped around her arm and he studied her face. She wondered what he saw and what he was looking for.

"Will you wake me up?" he asked as he dropped her arm and averted his gaze.

"Of course," Cassy whispered, suddenly feeling bereft of his touch.

'I'd better get used to that,' she reminded herself as she closed her bedroom door.

>>>>>>

Tom finished his haphazard effort at making up the guest bed in Cassy's town house and with a relieved sigh he began to peel off his clothes. In his exhaustion he let them fall where they landed before crawling under the cool sheets clad only in his underwear. Closing his eyes he breathed in the scent of the clean pillows and reveled in the feel of the soft bed underneath his aching body.

As the different noises of the house, different than what he was used to at his and Virginia's apartment, he let the strange sensations heighten his senses. On the other side of the wall he heard his partner and ex-wife go through her nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. Somehow he was comforted by the familiarity and certainty of the sounds. No matter how tired she was Cassy always fully prepared herself for the sleeping experience.

'Not always sleeping,' a voice in Tom's head reminded him and teased him with images of a time long ago when he had been responsible for changing some of Cassy's nightly routine. Sometimes there was no nightgown. Sometimes she didn't get to crawl in between the sheets as soon as she might have expected.

The image of a sheer negligee, the same color as the yellow suit Cassy had been wearing that day, balled up on a carpeted floor burned behind his eyes.

Tom's exhausted body both surprised and betrayed him. He restlessly shifted underneath the blanket suddenly feeling wide awake. With a frustrated grunt he punched his pillow into a ball before flopping back down on it. _This_ was almost exactly why he had decided to risk his fiancé's wrath and stay at Cassy's and try to get some sleep.

'Wonderful,' he grimaced and forced his body to remember it was exhausted and needed sleep.

All too soon he was awakened by Cassy knocking on his door and announcing it was time for him to wake up. While he could swear he hadn't gotten any sleep a look at his watch, which he grabbed from the bedstand, confirmed that it was eight-thirty in the morning. Cassy had obviously made the smart choice to let them get some modicum of a decent amount of sleep. He briefly wondered if she had engaged in another of her morning rituals and worked out on the treadmill before waking him up.

"Wait, that's in this room," he remembered when he looked at it as he sat up. As tired as he was the night before he was pretty certain he would have heard that.

>>>>>>>

"Do you want breakfast?" Cassy asked when Tom appeared in the living room.

"Let's pick up something on the way," Tom suggested.

"Sure," Cassy nodded as she picked up her keys and purse from the counter and headed for the front door. Before she could open the door the doorbell rang startling both partners. "Who in the world?"

Tom swallowed a lump in his throat and prayed that it wasn't Virginia. While he was planning on telling her later where he had spent part of the night, he didn't want to deal with it now. Or explain why he had an extra set of clothes at his partner's place. While it wasn't out of the ordinary for most partners, he didn't think Virginia would understand, especially since he had returned Cassy's clothes, along with an apology, when he was moving in with Virginia.

He could swear his heart skipped a beat when instead of looking into a pair of flashing brown eyes he found a pair of tired and smiling gray ones.

"Brett!" Cassy exclaimed with obvious pleasure.

"I didn't think I'd find you home," Tom heard the man say as he slid his arms around Tom's ex wife.

"We shouldn't be, we were at the station until half past two and I decided we should get a little more sleep this morning or we would both be useless today," Cassy told him. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning Tom. I was on my way home from the hospital and was just going to drop this off," Brett pulled an envelope out of his suit coat and handed it to her.

"The ballet!" Cassy's eyes widened and Tom could swear he heard a squeal trying to come out his normally staid partner's throat.

"I hope you can make it," he lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her palm, his light brown hair fairly shimmered in the morning sun.

"Friday night, I hope so," Cassy's fingers held onto Brett's hand as he brought it back down to waist level.

"I'm sure we can spare you for a few hours on Friday night even if we haven't closed the case by then," Tom interrupted, partly to remind the grinning pair that he was still standing there.

"We have to go and you should get some sleep," Cassy slid her hand out of his and pushed some hair off his forehead.

"Listen, it was nice to see you Brett, I'll meet you at the car Cass," Tom excused himself and moved past them and out the door.

"You can ask," Cassy said in a low tone after Tom had disappeared from view.

"I just want to be sure you're all right," Brett leaned in closer.

"I'm fine. He needed to get some sleep and it probably wouldn't have happened with that shrew waiting for him at home. She makes me look like Donna Reed in the wife department," Cassy said uncharitably.

"If I hadn't met her myself I might accuse you of sounding jealous," Brett observed.

Cassy sighed and looked down for a moment.

"It's just a hard adjustment. It's like she's become a part of our working relationship instead of just Tom's personal life. She doesn't understand the demands of the job. Not like you do," Cassy pressed her lips to his cheek.

"We'd better say goodbye so you can get to work," Brett said with a little disappointment tinging his voice. Before he had finished speaking Cassy's lips were on his and they shared a steamy kiss before Cassy pulled away, this time the disappointed sigh fell from her lips.

"Go make the streets safe," Brett ordered her as he pulled the door closed behind her and watched her lock it.

>>>>>>

"There's nothing from VICAP yet, it's probably a localized killer. Doesn't stray far from home," Cassy announced as she re-entered the interrogation room that had become _their _home away from home.

"That's a lead, a killer who likes women on the Atlantic coast of southern Florida," Tom said snappishly.

"Did something happen since I left the room?" Cassy looked at her partner curiously.

"No, nothing has happened. We've been at this for seven hours straight and we're no further than we were before and I haven't seen my fiancé in two days and probably won't see her again tonight, awake at least. But I shouldn't be taking it out on you, I'm sorry," Tom had stood up and began to pace as he went through his monologue.

"No you shouldn't, but apology accepted. Why don't you meet her for dinner?" she suggested.

"That's a good idea," Tom's mood lightened.

"Why don't you go arrange it and then you can calm down and take a look at these lab reports from Miami, Stuart and our latest victim," Cassy held up the sheets of paper she held in her hand and waved them around.

"Did they find anything?" Tom asked eagerly.

"You bet they did. Just as we suspected, it seems that all of the women were drugged, raped and then died of an overdose, except the one woman who seems to have missed the party and died before she could be raped. Seems our killer is a regular pharmacist. We have flunitrazepam, otherwise known as Rohypnol, diazepam, GHB, ketamine and MDMA, otherwise known as Ecstasy. Sounds like he had a regular rave," Cassy read the results of the various tests out loud, adding her own commentary along the way.

"You might be onto something," Tom said as he took some of the pages from her hands.

"What am I onto?" she asked.

"Rave, pharmacist," Tom waved his hand as he studied the reports.

"Do you think it could be a teenager or someone going through a mid-life crisis and is trying to have his own rave?" Cassy's brow furrowed as she considered ideas.

"Maybe a pharmacist. Most of these are all controlled substances, except for the roofies and ecstasy which aren't even given out by prescription. A pharmacist could probably make them and anyone could get them. A pharmacist would also know how much to administer to cause death," Tom continued the train of thought.

"So how many male pharmacists are there in southeast Florida? Unless it's a female pharmacist helping a male friend?" Cassy's face showed that she discounted the theory before she even finished articulating it.

"I don't know, but let's find out," the fire in Tom had been relit now that there was something to go on.

"Aren't you going to call Virginia?" Cassy asked as Tom left the room to get back to his computer.

"No. If we can solve this case ASAP we'll have plenty of dinners to look forward to and you can get to that show!" he said excitedly.

"The ballet is not a 'show'," Cassy corrected as she followed him.

>>>>>>

An hour later Tom's frustrated expression was back. He hadn't realized there were _that many_ pharmacists in South Florida. There were over seven thousand licensed pharmacists in the retirement capital of the world.

Cassy sat on the corner of his desk her own expression as serene as ever.

"What if it isn't a single person committing these crimes?" she mused out loud.

"What do you mean?" Tom looked over.

"What if it is a rave? What if the dosages of these drugs are too high and causing these deaths, but there is just one person dispensing the drugs at raves, nude raves maybe, and other guys who are using them on women and ending up with dead bodies on their hands that they just dump on the nearest beach?" she mused out loud.

"That doesn't solve the problem of there being too many pharmacists out there to check out," he reminded her.

"We should start with pharmacists who have lost their licenses or gotten in trouble starting in the Stuart area first. And if we can find a rave it would be somewhere else to start," she told him. The first death had been in Stuart, then the criminal had moved to Miami and began working his way up the coast. "Let's have Engler and Mason start checking out the pharmacists angle while we try to find out what raves go on around here Monday nights. These things travel too."

"You seem to know a lot about raves," Tom said with raised eyebrows.

"I still get out and about," she shrugged and flashed her partner a smile that said there was more that she wasn't going to tell him.

"_Naked_ raves?" he called out across the bullpen as she sauntered towards the doors causing a few conversations to stop and all eyes to turn towards the attractive blond woman.

"You're so dead Ryan," Cassy grumbled just loud enough for Tom and everyone to hear as she exited.

With a chuckle Tom grabbed his jacket and phone and went to follow her.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Wednesday  
April 28, 1999  
>>>>>>>

"Cassy, how do you know people like that? I thought nothing could beat the Lone Gunmen," Tom asked referring to the guys who had made the pen they had used to catch the Senator a few years back.

"You're just ticked off because he said you were too old to attend the rave without attracting attention," Cassy smirked at him as she pulled their department issue vehicle out of the beach parking lot.

"And you're not," Tom snorted and crossed his arms.

"You heard him, he said I was a hot babe and with the right clothes I'd fit right in," Cassy chuckled.

"The right clothes, that will make it easy for you to wear a wire. Listen, I don't think this is a good idea and Harry will never go for it," Tom warned her.

"Listen, we'll try your idea this weekend, if it doesn't pan out we'll try the rave on Monday night. I'm sure we can find someone from one of the other departments to tag along and all you'd have to do is watch the beaches," the determined set of Cassy's chin told Tom she wouldn't be deterred from this plan and he had a sinking feeling that Harry would in fact approve of it providing they came up with some more solid evidence that the rave was related to the case.

"We don't know that this new guy who's been showing up at these raves and looking 'old' is our guy," Tom pointed out.

"Hey, you can pose as a drug dealer if you really want to come in, but we need to appear separate," Cassy was obviously continuing to put her plan together.

"Maybe you're right. It makes sense. Maybe this guy gives away free samples to have a young guy lure someone for him," Tom capitulated.

"From the description John gave us I doubt any of the women who have been killed would leave with him voluntarily or in their right mind," Cassy agreed. "So are you going to back me up on this?"

"If we don't find anything before Monday," Tom said with a resigned sigh and a worried look on his face. "You still didn't tell me how you know this kid."

"I didn't did I?" Cassy said with mock seriousness before winking and heading towards the building and back to their center of operations.

Tom watched her swaying hips for a moment before following.

>>>>>>

"Miami, Stuart and Lauderdale are also checking up on the troubled pharmacists in their area. We're going to start checking out doctors as well. The FBI is lending a hand by checking their databases for any troubled pharmacists that might have come from other states and retired here, but unless they guy has been in trouble before we probably won't find anything. This is still a long shot theory for now, but the FBI profilers like it. They're working something up as we stand here and gab," Harry addressed the assembled team of officers from the various departments including his own.

"All departments are canvassing their areas for past raves and other places where this guy or guys might have worked from before and might work from in the future. Cassy and Tom I want you checking out places in Palm Beach. The next few nights I want officers hitting the nightlife in their cities and gathering information. Engler and Jackson you'll follow-up on hotline leads and let me know when you need more resources. Tom and Cassy will check out the scene in Palm Beach. That's it folks, let's get back to work. Tom, my office pronto," Harry finished.

"I know you're a newly engaged man Tom and I'm sorry, but this case has to come first," Harry said without preamble as soon as Tom had closed the office door.

"I know that Harry," Tom's shoulders drooped.

"I know there hasn't been a big problem yet, but this is probably going to go on until Tuesday morning, if we're lucky. I don't know Virginia all that well and I'm sure that if you love her she's a wonderful woman, but we can't have any of this turning off cell phones and answering machines when you go home to catch some shut eye. Last time it was Cassy getting hurt, luckily Brett showed up. This time it could be something more serious. That tip was given directly to Cassy on her cell phone, that's not a published phone number," Harry reminded him.

"Do you think the killer has his eye on her?" Tom asked in a deadly serious tone of voice.

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed a hand over his eyes, biding his time before answering.

"The thought has occurred to me. I can't take her off the streets because _a _she would kill both of us and _b_ that might alert whoever is watching her," Harry told him.

"Last night I crashed at Cassy's because I was too tired to drive home and didn't want to wake Virginia," Tom fudged his reasoning a little. "If we're going to be out until the wee hours of the morning I could use the same excuses and stay with Cassy. That way I could keep an eye on her and take care of your concerns."

"Do it," Harry nodded.

As soon as the words left Harry's mouth Tom suddenly remembered the trouble he had sleeping that morning. Virginia's reaction wasn't something he even wanted to consider. 'Oh boy, I'm really letting myself in for it now,' he squared his shoulders in preparation for the battle with his past and future wives.

>>>>>>>

"I'm sorry you're going to miss the ballet. You know you can go and then we can go out. Things don't really start hopping until that's over anyway," Tom said apologetically.

"I know, but it would ruin the night you know. I'm going to go see Brett while you go pack your bags. I hope this doesn't prove to be a homicide case of its own," Cassy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It wasn't that bad," Tom said, but wasn't very convincing.

"No, it just led to a bitter divorce," Cassy pointed out wryly.

"Well, it's not exactly the same thing. I'm just a temporary guest and we're involved with other people," Tom tried to be positive.

"And we have our own bathrooms," Cassy's demeanor brightened up. "You have the keys, I'll see you later. And good luck!"

"Yeah," Tom grumbled as he walked out of the squad room and prepared to face the firing squad.

>>>>>>>>

"You're sleeping with your ex-wife so that you can go club hopping with her!" Virginia's fiery hair practically stood on end around her face.

"I'm staying over at my partner's house in the guest room so that I can keep an eye her," Tom corrected her patiently.

"Seems to me like your _ex-wife_ is more important to you than your future wife and current lover. Unless she's your lover too," Virginia reached over and clasped Tom's chin between her thumb and forefinger. "You'd better not be playing games with me!"

Tom reached up and pulled her hand from his face so that he could talk. As he pulled her hand down she used her other hand to grasp his pants and pull him against her. She lifted one leg and wrapped it around his thighs and moved her lips until they hovered over his teasingly.

"You don't need another lover," she rubbed herself against him, smiling in satisfaction as she felt his response.

"No, I don't," he agreed in a hazy voice as his hands slid up to cup her breasts.

Their lips touched and they began to devour each other. Tom fell back on the dining room table, heedless of the glass of soda that he knocked over and shattered on the floor as she climbed on top of him and began to unclasp his pants.

>>>>>>

"I'm sorry, I really wanted to go with you," Cassy sat in the couch in Brett's apartment and said apologetically for the fifth time.

"Cass, I know you are. I'm sorry too. You know I never thought I would be involved with anyone whose job was more demanding and all consuming than mine, unless it was another doctor. Of course, my job doesn't entail going club hopping at all hours of the night," Brett observed in a philosophical tone.

Cassy looked away.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by that. I still want to see you. I'm just disappointed," Brett placed his fingers gently on her chin and turned her back to face him. "Maybe we could do a meal now and then over the next week?"

"I'd like that," Cassy nodded the light glinting off the tears in her eyes.

"This doesn't have to all come together this week or even this month," Brett reminded her of her own words.

"It's just that this is where most men end things, the first time I have to cancel on them for work and they feel it's a personal slight," Cassy smiled sadly.

"Don't worry, I'll be canceling plenty of dates on you," Brett promised.

"I think you're too good to be true," Cassy laughed and let him take her hands.

"You keep believing that for as long as you can," he kissed her forehead and chuckled.

Cassy tilted her face up and met his lips with her own.

>>>>>>>

Tom dropped his keys as he tried to open the door to his classic Mustang. With a curse he bent over and picked them. As he stood up he reached a hand out to steady himself for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath he stood all the way back up and unlocked the door. He sat for a few moments and concentrated on his breathing and shook off the dizziness he was often afflicted with after a marathon session with his fiancé.

"It's a good thing that I'll won't be staying here during this case or Harry would have more to worry about than an unanswered phone call," he commented dryly as he started the car and headed back to the station where he had to plan his newly adopted nightlife.

Well, Cassy always accused him of trying to relive his college days, he was about to really try it.

He just wasn't sure his body was up to the challenge just then.

'I can't believe I'm contemplating a nap before going out!' he mocked himself.

>>>>>>>

"Where's your partner?" Harry entered the interrogation room and demanded.

"He went home to pack his things and explain the situation to...his fiancé," Cassy barely restrained herself from referring to the woman as "the cheerleader" as she usually did when Tom wasn't around. Cassy couldn't help but wonder, when she had been finally introduced to the woman, whether Tom was going through a mid-life crisis and had reverted back to dating cheerleaders as he had in his college days. 'Who looks like that outside of Playboy?' she rolled her eyes, oblivious to the glare being shot at her by her boss.

"If you're finished with your internal monologue, perhaps you could make some time to solve this case?" Harry suggested with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes Sir," Cassy saluted perkily.

"And tell your partner he'd better get his butt back in here, he's been gone for three hours already," Harry bit out before leaving.

"Gee, I wonder what he's doing?" Cassy grimaced before turning her attention back to the fax she had just been handed from Quantico. It was a preliminary profile from the Behavioral Science Unit, or BSU, that they had been waiting for. She definitely wasn't planning on interrupting her partner's tryst with his fiance!

Cassy was still reading the profile fifteen minutes later when her partner came back.

"What are you reading?" Tom asked.

"You're not going to believe this," Cassy promised as she held out the first few pages as she continued to re-read the last few for the third time.

"What is this? How about a synopsis first?" he asked as he pushed his coffee mug aside and put the papers down in front of him on the table.

"It's the FBI profile. Or shall I say profiles? They think we got this partly right. They think it's coming from raves not just from the types of drugs involved but apparently their forensic people found some other substances found at these parties. Confetti chemicals and the like. They also think there is more than one person involved, but they don't think the person luring the women out of the crowd is a guy trying to get some free drugs. They think it's a woman who's working with an older man. She can easily drug them because they wouldn't suspect her and are likely already hopped up on something anyway. Then the woman strips them and prepares them for her mentor," she gave him the summary.

"Wow," Tom's eyes were wide and he was at a loss for words. He definitely wouldn't have figured that scenario, but the BSU was well-respected and knew their business.

"They haven't written a full profile on the accomplice yet. They want to examine the crime scenes and some of the physical evidence again. They should have that in a couple of days. This is either really right or really wrong," Cassy herself was still a bit stunned by what she was reading. She had seen a lot of things in her career, but this one would be the sickest. She could hardly come to grips with the picture of some woman out there luring women and preparing them to be raped and killed. Her face tensed into a mask of rage.

Whoever she was she'd better hope it was a male cop who found her first.

>>>>>>>

"You realize that everyone else is jealous of us?" Tom asked his partner as he put his carton of chinese food on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch.

"Everyone is jealous because I'm letting you eat in my living room?" Cassy looked at her white furniture with a pained expression.

"Because we get to party like it's 1999," Tom rolled his eyes but didn't otherwise respond to her comment.

"It'll fit your lifestyle these days," Cassy observed.

"What do you mean by that?" Tom turned to his partner with a scowl on his face.

"Nothing," Cassy shrugged and stood up to begin clearing up their dinner.

"No, you never say anything you don't mean. So what did you mean by that?" he demanded.

"Really Tom, I didn't mean anything by it," Cassy looked at her partner.

"I don't believe you," he said angrily.

"Fine, but you're not going to like it," she warned.

"When do I ever like what you say?" he shot back.

"We haven't even been here three hours and already we're at each other's throats," Cassy stalked to the kitchen and began to slam the empty cartons into the garbage.

"You started it!" Tom accused.

"I know I did and I tried to stop it before it got out of hand. I didn't mean anything by it," she made a visible effort to control her own rising ire.

This was exactly why their marriage hadn't lasted. Short tempers and over sensitivity to the other's opinion.

"Fine, let's just plan where we're going tonight and try to get some sleep first," he bit out.

Tom was still snappish, but Cassy ignored him and let him bring himself back under control. She knew better than to try and mention anything remotely related to Virginia and she wished she hadn't let herself become so comfortable with him that the comment slipped out. What she had been referring to was a vague idea she toyed with that Virginia, like his car, was Tom's way of trying to stay young and at the same time planning for his old age. She knew how much Tom wanted a wife and children, even as he continued to admire beautiful women. It certainly wasn't something worth bringing up with Tom though. It wasn't her place since she was his ex-wife, despite their friendship. These days she wasn't even sure their friendship was going to be able endure his marriage.

"Superclub Krome is a hot scene after midnight," Cassy said with authority.

"Why do I think people are going to be greeting you by name there?" Tom asked rhetorically.

"It's a good place to start. There are a bunch of other clubs within walking distance. Try not to stand out as a cop all right?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Do you want to pick out my clothes Mommy?" he practically stuck out his tongue at her.

"Might not be a bad idea," she leaned her head to the side and studied him.

"I'm going to catch some shut eye," Tom pushed himself off the floor and bounded up the stairs.

>>>>>>>  
11:30 pm

"You are NOT wearing that!" Tom roared when his partner came slinking down the stairs. Slinking was his word.

Cassy looked around the room.

"What are you looking for?" he asked her in exasperation.

"Whomever it was that gave you the right to tell me what to wear?" she said primly, or as primly as she could given her outfit.

"You're a cop you can't go out like that," Tom stood in front of her with his hands resting on the hips of his tight and faded jeans.

"I'm not supposed to look like a cop remember?" she asked.

"You definitely don't. You'd better stick close by me. Where's your gun and badge?" he asked.

She held up a purse that was just large enough to carry the items he had asked about. It was black like her stiletto heels. They both stood out in sharp contrast to her dress.

He'd prefer to call it a slip.

What she was wearing was a dress with spaghetti straps that attached to a dress that barely covered her breasts before sliding over her stomach and hips to rest lightly in the middle of her thighs. The dress itself was made of a red sheer silk over a thin layer of material that made the dress barely short of obscene in Tom's mind.

Her nails and lips were painted red to match.

Her hair was a mass of curls flowing over her shoulders.

Catching his perusal Cassy spun around.

He swallowed heavily as he realized her back was bare and her underwear matched the dress.

Tom realized shakily that his pants felt even tighter.

And all thoughts of his fiancé left his reeling brain as his hands reached out of their own accord to plaster the dress to her body. His intent had been to force some modesty on her. But then his hand slid over the silky material and he heard her gasp.

He didn't know if it was surprise or arousal because, frankly, he couldn't think.

Apparently his marathon session earlier that day hadn't completely drained his resources.

Before Cassy could gather her wits Tom smashed his lips against hers.

Within seconds her purse fell forgotten to the floor and her hands found their way into his hair.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

© 2000

>>>>>>>>  
Chapter 5  
Friday, April 30, 1999  
12:15 am

Nobody partying in the club was reacted when an obviously tense couple entered the Superclub Krome and began to look around. Both gay and straight couples looking for swapping or a diversion for a few hours were a dime a dozen in this place. As were couples who didn't get along too well until they had a few hits under their belts. The fact that the couple was extremely attractive was also nothing to cause more than a few interested glances to be tossed around as attractive people were also a dime a down in this rich, beach community and especially in this trendy party place. If anyone had known they were cops, however, they might have elicited more interest. The cops themselves, however, were too intent on their case and ignoring the uncomfortable tension radiating between them to appreciate the fact that their all-too-personal battle was helping them to blend in.

Having already decided the flashing a picture of either of the local victims around would immediately ruin their cover and their chance at getting answers, Cassy and Tom pushed their way through the crowd towards the back bar where, according to Cassy's friends, they might be able to hook up with the real party that went on downstairs. The combination of thinking about what she and Tom had to do to be invited and the feel of his hand on her lower back as he guided her through the crowd made Cassy's stomach flutter.

'It was just a dress rehearsal, that's all,' she told herself for the hundredth time since getting into the taxi for the ride downtown. As soon as she got to the bar she forced all thoughts of the personal out of her head. They were there to do a job.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked Cassy's chest. She was wearing her red dress.

"A margarita on the rocks, no salt and a screwdriver," Tom ordered drinks and warned off the younger man at the same time. To bring his point home he slid his arm around Cassy's shoulder and pulled her against him. Both their hearts pounded at the contact.

"I like salt Tom," Cassy opined breathlessly.

"But I don't," he murmured and ran a finger over her lower lip to make his point - if she had salt on her drink he would taste it on her lips. The moment the bartender looked away and went to make their drinks his finger dropped from her lip and he resumed his canvassing of the room. Cassy blinked and dragged her gaze away from her partner to look around for herself.

Somewhere behind the bar there was a door that led to a basement where the rave crowd hung out when there were no raves going on locally. Tonight, again according to Cassy's friend, there wasn't a rave planned. As Tom felt Cassy pushed against him by the crowd he sincerely hoped their efforts paid off.

"We need to separate," Cassy whispered into his ear.

"Why?" Tom asked, biting back the first response that popped into his brain. And the competing one that his body had come up with.

"So we can ask questions," she said with an impatient sigh, which was not completely for the benefit of people standing too close.

"Try to stay within sight, we don't know that the crimes don't happen at places like this," Tom told her in a low tone.

"It's not Monday," she pointed out.

"Doesn't mean nothing will happen," Tom warned ominously, clearly worried about their being separated as much as he welcomed the physical reality. As far as Tom was concerned it wasn't a good idea for them to be separated in a place like this. Especially not since someone who knew about the crimes had their eye on her and with her in that outfit.

"I can take care of myself," Cassy reminded him, in a voice loud enough to carry to those standing close to them. Partly to initiate them going their separate ways and partly to remind him that she too was a cop.

'And so it begins,' Tom thought to himself in resignation. As much as Cassy claimed to despise his hunches, so far all of the events that had unfolded were backing up his feeling that this case was going to be a disaster, even if they caught the killer before he struck again. Killers, he corrected himself. Ironically, he was pretty sure that even Cassy would agree with that hunch now.

He watched, almost dispassionately, as Cassy took a small sip of her drink and licked some droplets off her red lip. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man standing on the other side of the bar eyeing her. Unconsciously, Tom's hand strayed up her bare back and pressed her closer to his side.

"I'll be right back," Cassy announced and pushed him away with a glare.

Tom watched as the man with black hair who had been watching her also left his place at the bar and headed for the restrooms.

Tom willed himself to stay rooted to his place. For want of something better to do with his hands he picked up his drink and pretended to take a sip as he continued to study the crowd.

"Looks like your girlfriend likes her space," a female voice interrupted his thoughts.

"My wife actually," Tom corrected her, flashing the wedding band he had donned for the night.

"Too bad," the woman pouted and tilted her head so that her lush black hair fell over her cheek.

As she had planned Tom's eyes followed the movement of her hair and then followed her shoulder length hair down to where it met her bare shoulders and then the rest of the way down.

"Why is that bad? I like my space too," Tom flashed her a seductive grin.

"Oh. My name is Talia," she held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you Talia, I'm Tom. The missus is Cassandra and actually she's just feeling a bit on, uh, edge right now," Tom felt like retching as the completely false words fell from his lips.

"I might know of something that could help her take the edge off," she said after studying him for a few moments.

"Downstairs?" Tom asked meaningfully.

"You've heard of it?" Talia was suddenly wary.

"That's why we're here," he slid his fingers over her bare arms. "Sometimes my wife and I need a little help, if you know what I mean."

"Hmmm, when your wife returns why don't you join me. And her friend," Talia's suspicion disappeared.

Tom followed the direction she was looking in and found the man from the bar draped all over his wife.

Partner!

"That's Ralph, _my_ husband. I saw him eyeing your woman and thought I'd see if you were interested in playing with us. I think I have my answer," Talia said seductively as she eyes Tom's hand still resting on her upper arm.

Tom smiled as his stomach rolled over. These hardly seemed like the people who attended raves, they seemed to be interested in their own type of party. He hoped this wasn't dead end. But then again they could be their pair of perpetrators.

"What do you and your husband do for day jobs?" he asked suddenly.

"That's a strange question. Actually, Ralph is a doctor and I'm his nurse. Our patients should see us now," she laughed, not caring enough to ask what Tom and Cassy did for a living. A fact that Tom was grateful for since he didn't think he could stand to tell more lies than absolutely necessary.

What lies were "necessary" was not a topic that he wanted to address for another few hours. Decades actually, would have been better.

With a last serious look at Cassy, Tom plunged headfirst into the act.

>>>>>>>  
11am

"Stop looking so glum you two. So you didn't find anything yet, you did make a drug bust," Harry admonished his tired officers.

"He was hoping they were our perps, but instead of predatory sex killers they were swingers who ran the biggest viagra drug ring in Palm Beach," Cassy couldn't suppress her grin.

"You thought they might be able to tell us something too," Tom reminded her.

"Enough already," Harry sneered at his bickering team. "You can play your games later. Right now we still have a killer to catch. Get back to work."

Cassy and Tom nodded and headed back to the interrogation room.

"I don't think last night was a good idea," Cassy told Tom as soon as she was sure no one could overhear them.

"I agree," Tom looked confused.

"About the choice of clubs. The crowd was too old. I thought John would have guided us to a younger crowd," Cassy clarified her statement, but was unable to meet Tom's gaze. Sooner or later they would have to talk about what had happened, but it would have to wait until after the case.

"I don't think it was so bad. The rave crowd might be younger, but the guy your pal mentioned as hanging around is older," Tom pointed out.

"But he probably wouldn't hang out at clubs like that. He has a problem getting women without the drugs and assistance, why would he show up at a place where serious games are played? Maybe he doesn't go out at all?" Cassy shook her head.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, we had to go there to find out what was going on in that room downstairs," Tom tried to make her feel better.

"Don't remind me. Viagra?" Cassy's face screwed up in disgust.

"You've seen the stats there have been plenty of Viagra related deaths in sex clubs in California," he pointed out.

"I know, I just didn't want to see it. Maybe we were there on the wrong night? I still think we need to look more to the college bars tonight," she shook off her feelings of repulsion.

"Sounds almost like a hunch," her partner teased.

Cassy shot him a quelling look before turning and continuing down the hall without him.

"Well it did," Tom yelled at her.

>>>>>>>>  
8:00 pm

"Looks like the FBI agrees with your hunch," Tom announced as Cassy let him into her house.

"I saw the profile of the female accomplice too. And it wasn't a hunch it was deductive reasoning," she countered.

"Whatever. Looks like we're going to some college bars tonight. Think I should wear my football jersey?" Tom asked with a grin.

"We're not going," Cassy told him.

"What? What do you mean? Listen if this is about last night..." Tom began.

"No! It's not last night. I asked Harry to assign some younger looking cops. They're going to wear wires and we'll listen in," she interrupted.

"You didn't like this idea to begin with did you?" Tom sighed and looked around. 'How,' he wondered, 'did she get Harry to agree to this? Now how are we going to keep an eye on her?'

"Not exactly. I think we should be out there asking questions, I just realized we might stand out too much among the college crowd. I've arranged for us to re-interview the boyfriends of the victims that had ones tomorrow. Harry said we'd better prepare tonight. So you can still stay here and keep an eye on me if you want," she told him.

"How did you know?" Tom had intended to deny her statement, but realized it would be futile. She knew him too well. And Harry.

"Because if you had gotten the tip on your phone and men were turning up dead I would be worried too. Do you want something to eat or drink?" she asked him before turning around and heading for the kitchen.

"Some cola would be great. What munchies do you have?" he put his files down on the dining room table and settled down to get to work.

Cassy noticed that he had been careful to keep his gaze from coming anywhere near the stairs.

>>>>>>>  
9:10pm

"I have to tell Virginia," Tom tossed his pen down and rubbed his eyes.

"I know," Cassy whispered. "When do you plan to tell her?"

"I keep thinking I should wait until this case is over because there's no way she's going to let us remain partners once she finds out. I know I shouldn't wait, but at least she left town this afternoon for a modeling shoot on some island out in international waters. I probably would have told her," Tom said quietly, a flush of shame, and something more, burning his cheeks.

"I know you would have. You're an honest and loyal man," Cassy resisted the urge to take his hand into her own.

Tom snorted and stood up and walked to the window where he looked out at the churning and roiling ocean.

"You are, what happened between us..." Cassy broke off, unable to find the words to explain what it was herself.

"You don't need to try and explain things to me Cass, I started it. I know what I did and I know how wrong it was. I'm engaged to be married and I should have...I should have resisted," Tom balled hands into fists at his side.

Cassy stood up and studied Tom's tense back silently for a few moments.

"Is that the only reason that it was wrong?" Cassy asked quietly.

"What?" Tom swung around to face her.

"Is the fact that you're engaged to someone else what made it wrong?" she repeated softly.

Tom stared at her, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for an answer to her question.

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Thursday, April 30, 1999  
9:15 pm  
>>>>>>

"You are, what happened between us..." Cassy broke off, unable to find the words to explain what it was herself.

"You don't need to try and explain things to me Cass, I started it. I know what I did and I know how wrong it was. I'm engaged to be married and I should have...I should have resisted," Tom balled hands into fists at his side.

Cassy stood up and studied Tom's tense back silently for a few moments.

"Is that the only reason that it was wrong?" Cassy asked quietly.

"What?" Tom swung around to face her.

"Is the fact that you're engaged to someone else what made it wrong?" she repeated softly.

Tom stared at her, his mouth opening and closing as he searched for an answer to her question.

"I don't understand what you want to know," Tom finally said, his eyes boring into Cassy's.

"I think maybe you don't want to, but I think you do," Cassy took a step towards him.

"What do you want from me? What have you ever wanted from me?" he asked.

Cassy paused and looked at him fearfully before looking away, no more ready than her ex-husband to be the one put on the spot first.

"We have a case to solve," was all she finally said and she turned back towards the table and resumed her seat. All signs of the emotional minefield they almost trod upon gone from her face.

"I need some fresh air first," Tom bit out with barely restrained rage and slammed outside to the beach.

Cassy closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

>>>>>>

"What's wrong? Missing your fiancé?"

"He's a good cop, he's going to catch you," Virginia tightened the sheet around her naked body as she stood in front of the windows in the darkened hotel room at the Black Palm Hotel and Casino on Key Nuevo Island.

"Don't you mean us?" the male voice from the bed mocked.

Virginia shivered and rubbed her bare shoulders.

"Come on, don't tell me you're getting cold feet on me now. I know you enjoy it. Luring those sweet things to those raves, drugging their drinks and leading them to me. I watch you stripping them down for me. I know you watch me. If you're so worried that he's going to catch us what are you doing here with me? Why aren't you stopping him?"

"He's still in love with his ex-wife. I think he's cheating on me with her," she admitted.

"That's rich. You're worried that he's cheating on you. What are you beginning to like this guy? That wasn't part of the deal. You were just supposed to be able to keep an eye on the cops and warn me. But I notice you're getting a little too involved here. Is that why you gave the tip to the partner? Perhaps you were thinking of making her my next one? I certainly wouldn't mind. She's hotter than any of the marks you've gotten for me in the past."

Virginia just fluffed her hair around her shoulders and dropped her sheet.

"Why don't you have another look, that's all you can do with a woman like me."

>>>>>>>>  
10:05 pm

"Have we gotten that list of pharmacists yet?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, I picked up a copy after you left the station," Cassy tossed him a file. "I already sent out blues to start questioning their former employers and to track them down themselves. I thought I told you this already."

"You did, I forgot," Tom shrugged.

"Tom, we're not going to get anywhere with you like this," Cassy said angrily.

"Like what Cass, why don't you tell me how I am, like you always do," Tom snapped at her.

"Dammit Tom. Enough with the guilt complex already. We agreed we're not going to deal with this until this case is closed and if you're in such a hurry to do that maybe you should get your mind back into the game," Cassy was officially annoyed.

"I'm sorry if I'm not used to dealing with guilt as well as you do," he accused.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Cassy went from annoyed to perplexed.

"Nothing, I didn't mean anything by it," Tom stood up and walked to the kitchen to refill his glass.

"Obviously you did mean something and we're not going to get anything done until we deal with what happened last night. So why don't we just do that and get this over with so we can get this case closed," Cassy stood up and followed him into the kitchen.

"Maybe we should," Tom agreed angrily as he slammed the refrigerator door closed.

"Why did you kiss me?" she crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him.

Tom put his glass down and ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I've been trying to figure that out Cass. Obviously I desired you, but I'm very happily engaged," Tom began, albeit a bit shakily.

"Are you happy Tom?" she interrupted him to ask.

"Of course, why do you ask?" Tom narrowed his eyes and waited for her answer.

"Aside from the fact that you were all over me last night?" she asked.

"You've been uncharacteristically silent in offering your opinion about Virginia," Tom observed.

"That has nothing to do with this discussion," Cassy waved her hand. "You...you grabbed me last night and if your cell phone hadn't rung who knows how much further things might have gotten. Why?" Cassy's cheeks were flushed as she looked up at Tom and remembered just where and how they had found themselves when the phone had rung and Virginia had been on the other end.

Almost like she had been watching them.

From the look in Tom's eyes he too was remembering the scene.

A red dress flung over a bannister.

His lips pressed to hers.

His pants down to his knees.

Her legs locked around his hips as he prepared...

"Why did you?" Tom rasped out.

"Something almost happened, but it didn't. If you feel the need to confess to Virginia, that's up to you. But this is isn't getting us anywhere," Cassy sighed and turned away.

"No, I'm tired of dancing around this. Let's finish this," Tom's voice whipped out. "I saw you in that dress and I couldn't help myself. All I could imagine was touching and tasting you. I didn't even think about Virginia, not for a second, not until I heard the phone ring. And you wanted me just as badly. You can't deny that. What's hanging between us are a few relationships Cass. Mine and Virginia's. Yours and Brett's. Ours. And one of those is over, at least as far as lovemaking goes."

"We were married once. When we became partners again there was undeniably still passion between us, but we both decided we couldn't make it work. I admit that all these years I wondered whether we could try again, whether you still loved me. But I gave up those thoughts after I was shot. I waited for weeks for you to say something about the wedding band the nurse found under my pillow. But you didn't say anything and I knew that you never would," Tom said in a hoarse voice.

"Why didn't you ask me?" Cassy looked at him curiously.

"You left me. You wanted the divorce. I'd asked you until I was blue in the face back then and I wasn't going to do it this time. If I pushed the issue maybe you would have temporarily acquiesced, but you would have just run away again. I'm done with that Cass. I'm not going to wait around for the rest of our lives for you to get the courage to let yourself trust someone for the long haul. I want a wife, I want children. I want a family. And I want that with Virginia, not you."

"I trust you," Cassy whispered.

"You trust me with your life, every day on this job. You don't trust me with your heart Cass. We don't work because you think that every disagreement, every fight will be the end of the relationship. It breaks you. It broke us. I can't fight that," Tom swore.

"I know that's not true," Cassy said through the lump in her throat.

"Maybe now you do? But it's too late. I love Virginia and she's going to be my wife," Tom swallowed hard and looked away momentarily.

"So why?" Cassy lifted her chin and Tom saw the tears glistening in her crystalline blue eyes.

"One last time, I guess I needed one last time," he whispered, his own eyes glittering.

"Then there we are," Cassy said, a tear sliding down her left cheek. She didn't bother to brush it away.

"So why did you want me?" Tom asked.

"Like you said, one last time. Not something worth risking your engagement or our partnership. Now can we get back to work?" Cassy's face stiffened as she visibly fought back her sobs.

"Sure, we have a couple of murderers to catch," Tom agreed.

"And you don't need to stay here tonight," she told him before walking away.

>>>>>>>>  
Friday, April 30, 1999  
8:45am

"We're still questioning pharmacists along the coast and we're widening our computer searches to doctors, nurses and perps with raps sheets involving roofies and rape. Nothing turned up last night at the local bar scene. We figure we won't be able to get anything until Monday, but we're going to keep trying. More of you will be sent out tonight to hang around at the beaches where the bodies have turned up," Cassy, wearing a peach pants suit, gave the morning briefing to the team assembled in the Palm Beach bull pen and the other teams who attended via telephone conference.

"We're going to redo interviews with family and friends of the victims to see if there were any new people in their lives in the months, weeks or days leading up to the murders. That's it for now."

Tom was still leaning, stiffly, against a desk in the background when Harry approached him.

"You look terrible Ryan. And I'm not talking about that horrid turquoise jacket. I thought part of the benefit of staying with Cass is that you would be getting some sleep," Harry remarked. "Anything suspicious?"

"Nothing," Tom said.

"Good. If I had time I might ask you what's wrong, but there's not supposed to be anything wrong. The _only_ thing that's supposed to be on your mind is this case and your partner's safety. Got me Ryan? Good, now get back to work. And get some sleep tonight," Harry barked out before heading back to his office.

"Gee, I didn't know you cared," Tom was joking when his partner approached.

"You're sitting on the file I need," Cassy informed him.

Tom grimaced and lifted himself off her desk and watched her retrieve the file and begin to read through it.

"Are you going to speak to me?" he asked after a few minutes.

"I'm not _not_ speaking to you," she said, not looking up from the file.

"That's the longest sentence you've said to me all morning. For all of last night for that matter," Tom sounded accusatory.

"I don't have time for this crap Tom," Cassy glared at him and walked away.

"Crap, so now my feelings are crap?" Tom yelled loud enough for the entire room to hear him.

In the midst of the silence Harry growled for the two officers to get to his office. Now!

Cassy stalked into the office.

"I guess I wasn't clear Ryan. I said to put this away until the case is over. My squad room isn't the place for your domestic battles. What's going on her St. John?" he looked at the party that he hadn't warned.

"We just could never live together," she said weakly.

Harry didn't look like he was buying it.

"I don't know what it is with you two. You're engaged to someone else and you have a boyfriend. If there are personal issues you need to work out then do it quickly or put them away. I fought to have you two as lead in this investigation and I expect you not to let me down. One more incident and I'm pulling out of lead and locking you two in a room together. Understood this time?" Harry asked. Then his face softened. "You're a good team and good friends, don't ruin it by being too prideful."

"Yes, Sir," Cassy's own face softened as she thanked their Captain for the personal touch.

The chastened pair left the office with their tails hanging between their legs.

Harry opened his desk drawer and took out a large bottle of Excederin.

>>>>>>>>

"I'm sorry," Tom whispered to his partner as they headed for the interrogation room where they were scheduled to meet Pat Brown, the boyfriend of Nancy Pedron, in a few minutes.

"Me too. Listen Tom," Cassy put her hand on Tom's arm. "We had our shot and it didn't work out. Let's not let all this ruin our partnership. Personal is personal. Work is work."

"You got a deal," Tom squeezed her hand.

>>>>>>

"She was talking about becoming a model, that was strange. I mean Nancy was beautiful, but she never expressed any interest in that kind of thing. She was working towards her degree in early childhood education, she just did the secretarial thing for money. Someone convinced her she could do a few shoots and have enough money for school and have more time to study. She said some woman, some model, approached her on the street one day a few weeks ago. I never met her or anything," Pat told the officers.

"Do you know what she looked like?" Tom asked.

"No, like I said, I never met her, Nan just told me about her. I think her name was Jessica Archer, Arthur, something like that. But definitely Jessica. Nan just said she was exotic looking, I didn't really care, frankly," Pat shrugged.

"How come you never mentioned this before?" Cassy asked.

"Nothing came of it. It was just an idea she was toying with. She didn't even get any head shots done or anything. I think she was really flattered but Nancy had a good head on her shoulders, I didn't think she was serious. Do you think this might have anything to do with what happened to Nancy?" Pat asked, his brown eyes had a pleading look in them that the pair had seen so many times before. The friends and family of the victims, more than vengeance, often just wanted answers.

"We don't know, but we wanted to make sure we covered every angle. Thank you for coming in again. We appreciate it," Tom stood up, signaling that the interview was over.

"The papers say that Nancy might be the victim of a serial killer," Pat stood up also, but still wanted answers.

"We ask that you don't talk to the papers or tell anyone what we talked about today. We won't be able to catch the person who is doing this if they're inadvertently tipped off. As soon as we make an arrest we will let you know," Cassy said gently.

"Thank you, thank you so much, for Nancy," Pat shook her hand before turning to leave.

"I'll never get used to that," Cassy admitted and looked at her partner.

"I know," Tom said empathetically. The pain of the loved ones of a victim was something that had kept both of them awake many, many nights over the years.

"Maybe this model that approached Nancy is the accomplice," Cassy said out loud what they were both thinking.

"Let's look up this Jessica Arthur," Tom nodded in agreement.

"Or Archer," Cassy said as they walked out of the interrogation room.

>>>>>>>>

"Must be a stage name," Tom said fifteen minutes later.

"Or she's from out-of-state? Let's hit the modeling agencies," Cassy suggested.

"We have another interview scheduled in fifteen minutes. Let's have someone else do the leg work," Tom looked at his watch and then looked up with a grin.

"Harry must love this," Cassy waggled her eyebrows at her partner before turning to look for someone to send out.

"The intoxicating nature of power," Tom sighed and exited the Department computer system and picked up his telephone to see if they could get the FBI to run a check on the name. "Might as well get something from the feds besides a hassle."

Tom's cell phone rang a minute later, while he was still on with the feds. Tom tossed the phone to Cassy to answer.

"Ryan's phone," Cassy said absently as she held the phone between her ear and shoulder. As she identified the person on the other end her face paled and she almost dropped the phone. Quickly clasping the phone in her hand she looked up at Tom.

Tom caught site of her white face. "Who?" he mouthed.

"Tom is on the phone, can you call back in a few minutes?" Cassy asked. Closing the phone she dropped it on the desk and sat back in her seat.

"What's wrong Cass? Is there another body? It's only Thursday," he looked at his watch again.

"Cass?" he prompted when he realized she hadn't responded yet.

"That was Virginia, she's calling back in a few minutes," Cassy tossed him back the phone.

"Oh," Tom said and looked away.

"No, it's not that," Cassy said.

"Then what?" Tom asked.

"I recognized the voice," she explained, a strange expression on her face.

"Of course, you know her," Tom was confused.

"No, I mean, yes. I know her, but I never heard her over the phone before. I should have put it together sooner, but I had no reason to think about it. To put it together," Cassy babbled.

"Slow down, what are you talking about?" Tom held up his hand to signal her to stop.

"She's the person who called me and gave me the tip about Sally Taylor Tuesday morning," Cassy told him.

"What? Are you crazy?" Tom asked and put his hand across his partner's forehead.

"I know you won't believe me, let's not discuss this out here or else Harry will have our badges," Cassy stood up.

"Fine," Tom rolled his eyes and rose to follow her.

"Do you seriously believe that my fiancé called you and told you that there was a body on the beach? How in the world am I supposed to believe that? Aside from the fact that she's the woman I love and _trust_, Virginia was out of town until Tuesday morning. Even if she was in on this don't you think she knows you would recognize her voice?" Tom said patiently as if he was speaking to a particularly stupid person.

"Maybe she wanted to me to recognize her? Maybe she wants us to ask her what's going on? I"m not saying she's in on this with the killer, but maybe the killer's accomplice is really a model and Virginia somehow found out about what was going on but is too afraid to tell us directly because of her connection to you? What if she's afraid?" Cassy suggested, although deep inside she didn't really believe what she was saying. But if she told Tom what she really felt he wouldn't believe her and would only accuse her of being jealous. 'I'm starting to sound like Tom now, I have a hunch!'

"She would tell me," Tom insisted, but Cassy could see he wasn't dismissing her suspicion out of hand anymore. "Didn't you say the person who gave you the tip was calling from a pay phone in Palm Beach and was disguising their voice?"

"A pay phone by the beach, by Lantana Muni in fact. And the person was whispering," Cassy corrected him.

"Whispering? I doubt that Virginia was just whispering to you on the phone," Tom looked satisfied with himself. "Besides, you probably were woken up and I know how groggy you are first thing in the morning. If Bill Clinton called early in the morning you probably wouldn't have recognized the voice or remembered it."

"I would too remember it, I am a cop! Anyway, like I said, I had no reason to connect Virginia to this. And I have heard her whispering, she always does it when I'm around and I can always hear what she says," Cassy informed him, this time unable to keep her dislike of the woman out of her tone. Tom would be right if he told her that being rude to the ex-wife didn't make someone a killer or an accomplice to one, but Cassy knew that it was her and if she couldn't get Tom to buy into this she would pursue it on her own. And find some way to keep Tom from tipping his fiancé off.

"I'm not going to ask her about this. Maybe you should go home and get some more sleep?" Tom suggested with a hint of condescension.

"Maybe you're right. I must be tired. We have a few more interviews to get through this morning, then maybe I'll go home and get some sleep," Cassy sighed, feigning tiredness. Then she flashed him a smile as he walked out of the room.

"And if those interviews and the others being held turn up something about a model approaching the victims then I'll go home and _sleep_," Cassy promised.

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Friday, April 30, 1999  
1:07 pm  
>>>>>>>

"That settles that," Cassy said as she hung up the phone. She was seated on the corner of the table in the interrogation room cum command center.

"Settles what?" Tom asked as he looked up from his lap top.

"We have a connection between the cases. Almost all of the victims were approached in the weeks leading to their deaths about becoming a model. Only one victim didn't mention being approached, but she might have just not mentioned it to anyone since she was new to the area and didn't have a boyfriend or girlfriend or family nearby. That was the woman in Stuart. Miami is having a composite drawn up, it seems that the boyfriend of their victim saw the woman who was recruiting his girlfriend to become a model. They're going to email the picture to you once it's complete. Now all we need to do is figure out why these women. I'd really love to have a decoy but we don't have that kind of time," Cassy carefully avoided any mention of Virginia.

Tom had been stiff and short with her ever since she had told him she had recognized the beloved fiancé's voice as the tipster from a few morning's ago. Cassy could hardly blame him and secretly commended him for his restraint. Cassy knew she herself would have gone ballistic on him had he suggested her lover was a suspect on a case. In fact, she once had. But the accusation was out there and she could hardly take it back now. Nor could she have him involved in that part of the investigation, it was too close to home for him. She either had to farm out the work secretly to someone else or ask him to step aside. Cassy doubted Tom would voluntarily step aside while his fiancé was investigated. She would need to keep him occupied with other things.

"You wanted to see me St. John?" Detective David Sykes of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea stuck his head into the interrogation room.

"Yeah, can you give me a minute?" Cassy asked him. Well, that decision was out of her hands now.

"You got it babe," Sykes winked and ducked his sandy brown head back out of the room.

"What's going on Cassandra?" Tom looked at his partner suspiciously.

"I'm going to ask him to look into the modeling world for us to see if there is a real connection or just a complete ruse," Cassy steeled herself from Tom's reaction.

"And why can't _we_ do that?" he bit out.

"Because of Virginia. This might hit too close to home and you might be recognized. I need for you to step away from this part of the investigation and focus on the real perpetrator," Cassy admitted.

"So you still think _my fiancé_ is involved in this? I can't believe you St. John," Tom slammed his palm on the table and stood up.

"I might have been hasty in thinking it was Virginia, but she is a model and it could be someone she knows or knows you," Cassy prevaricated, but she didn't feel good about it.

"When this comes to a dead end I expect you to apologize to both of us. I'm going to get some lunch!" Tom warned before storming out of the room.

"The day I apologize to that shrew," Cassy said aloud once he was out of earshot.

"What shrew?" David Sykes returned. "Sorry, I saw your partner storm out and thought you might be ready for me."

"Just a disagreement on a direction this investigation is taking. You'll understand in a minute. I need you to help me with something," Cassy looked him squarely in the eye, forgetting to wonder where her partner was going.

Sykes was suitably warned by her firm demeanor. He had known from the first moment he heard her voice over the phone that she was a force to be reckoned with.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked, a rakish tilt to his grin. He loved nothing more than a challenge. With a quick study of the woman standing in front of him he amended his thoughts.

'Almost nothing,' his twinkled at the thought, and he knew that his temporary boss knew just what he was thinking and was amused by it.

>>>>>>>>

Tom was still furious an hour later when he arrived back at the Department. Still furious with himself.

Despite his avowed denials of Cassy's claim that Virginia had given him the tip and might know someone involved with the crime, inside he couldn't dismiss her out of hand. Cassy was too good an investigator and too loyal a partner to be either so grossly mistaken or to have made up something this serious out of spite, even if she was insanely jealous of her ex-husband's future bride, which she wasn't anyway. What made him even angrier was that he _had _been wondering whether Virginia would keep something like this from him ever since Cassy brought it up.

He was even angrier that his suspicions had let him back to their apartment where he had looked through Virginia's private things for some sign of her involvement. His heart sank even further as he remembered what he had found. A few packets of unlabeled powder that tasted suspiciously like cocaine and a few months worth of birth control pills along with a receipt indicating that one packet missing. They had agreed when they had gotten engaged to try for a baby.

'Could Cassy be right?' the thought physically sickened him.

He had to look into this, but for personal not professional reasons. He would let Cassy pretend to believe that he didn't know what she and Sykes were up to and he would engage in his own investigation of Virginia. It was a decision he had made back in their bedroom but couldn't admit to himself until now.

'To clear her,' he tried to convince himself as he pulled out his cellular phone and initiated a background check on the woman he had already vowed to love and trust for the rest of his life.

It wouldn't be the first time that vow had been broken would it?

>>>>>>>>

"Good work," Harry complimented his detective team after he finished reading through the summary they had put together on the modeling scam connection in the case. He looked at them over his glasses for a second when neither preened at their superior's rare expression of a job well done. Something was still brewing between them, he thought as he noticed that they sat stiffly and did not look at each other.

'It's been this way ever since Tom was shot eight months ago,' he shook his head in exasperation. They had always been an explosive pair, but ever since Tom had recovered their bouts had increased in frequency and intensity, just as it had when they were married. 'Stubborn fools.'

But since it wasn't interfering with the investigation he wasn't going to bring it up again. Afterwards though...

"Has Miami sent over the sketch yet?" he asked out loud.

"No sir, as soon as its here we'll pass it out," Cassy answered for them.

"So you've broken up the investigation?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Cassy is heading up the teams to look into the model angle and I'm supervising the search for our druggist," Tom explained smoothly, as if he had agreed to the plan in the first place. He didn't look over when Cassy shot him a questioning glance, but he felt an increased pressure in his chest. He and Cassy knew each other too well to be able to fool each other for long. She knew he was up to something as surely as he knew she was.

'God, how did we get to here?' he wondered to himself, suddenly feeling the chasm between him and Cassy for the first time since their divorce. He hadn't even noticed it widening. But how wouldn't it after he got engaged to someone else?

Harry's continued speaking brought him out of his reverie.

"Good, the Mayor doesn't want another body turning up on the Atlantic seaboard. Not in Palm Beach or anywhere else since we're a head of this investigation. Unless of course it's out-of-state, because then it will be the FBI's problem. What about the suspects that have been questioned?" Harry asked.

"Nothing yet. We're still looking at professionals, but we've widened the look at non-professionals that work the type of crowds that go to these raves. We have a couple of people looking at the campuses here and in Miami. The FBI has agreed to lend us some agents from the Miami office so we can cover more ground before Monday and the state police, county sheriffs and all of the prosecutor's offices are now lending a hand," Cassy finished.

"Good, good," Harry dismissed them with a wave of his hand. His butt was in a sling if another body washed up, now he had to go brief the commissioner and the mayor. Even the Governor was interested in this case now.

Seeing his pained expression the seasoned team didn't loiter.

>>>>>>>>

"Tom, I need to show you something," Cassy told him before they reentered the interrogation room.

"Yeah?" he looked at her warily.

"The picture came from Miami. I had it directed to my inbox instead, but didn't have a chance to show it to you before Harry called us in," Cassy led him back into the empty room and to her laptop. She stood by and waited for him to take a seat at the table before calling up the email.

Tom's eyes closed when he saw the sketch. The resemblance to his Virginia was uncanny.

"Maybe she was really scouting for models," Tom said half-heartedly.

Cassy heard the edge underlying his words and placed her hand on his shoulder, about to offer him comfort.

Tom pulled away violently and stood up.

"Is this what you wanted?" he accused, knowing his words were unfair even before they left his mouth. But he was unable to stop himself. He had been wanting to lash out at Cassy for so long. The almost constant disputes they had been engaging in over the past week hadn't begun to scratch the surface of his resentment towards her. Or what he thought was resentment.

"Is this why you were brought into my life? You've done nothing but ruin it from the first day we met. You break my heart and betray my trust and now you're doing your best to ruin my relationship with Virginia. Just as you've ruined every relationship since we met! You talk too much about your partner Tom. You're partners with your ex-wife Tom? Why do you call her when I'm in the bathroom Tom? It's done. After this case Harry's going to have to find someone who's willing to work with you!"

As Tom slammed out of the room David Sykes entered whistling under his breath.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop..." he began to apologize.

"But you could hear him down the hall," Cassy struggled to hide her hurt. "Seems to be a common occurrence lately. We're under a lot of pressure. What did you find out?"

"Well, Virginia Mason became Virginia Archer in 1991 by marriage to a Marcus Archer, who by all records I've found is _not _dead. In fact she and her husband are currently on Key Nuevo, a private gambling casino in international waters off Florida. She has worked on occasion as a model but her usual employment is as a con woman. Her husband, get this, dropped out of pharmacy school in 1984," Sykes looked up from the file in his hand.

Cassy sat down with a stunned expression on her face. It was all too easy and too pat.

"Where did you find this information?" she finally asked.

"Not through usual channels. Through the usual channels I came up with a rap sheet as long as my arm for," David flipped a few pages, "solicitation, prostitution, fraud, rubber checks and some petty crimes. Her husband has a similar rap sheet. Apparently he's not shy about pimping out his wife. I had to tap into some other sources for the connection with Mundson, the owner of Key Nuevo. Not a savory character. I'm not sure where your partner fits into the plan, all I can assume is they wanted a source in the police department. I suggest you ask your IT department if Tom's computer has made some unusual access recently into departmental databases or other systems Tom might have access to."

"I really wanted to be wrong about this," all hurt and anger on her own account had fled now that she was faced with the perfidy Tom was victim to. And she would have to be the one to break it to him.

Well, he already hated her, she thought philosophically.

>>>>>>

Tom, however, was not without his own resources and had come up with much the same information that Sykes had.

"At least I won't have to force Cassy to make an apology," he thought bitterly, even as he blocked out the hurtful things he had flung at her a short while ago. Now was not the time to worry about that or his badge. He had a water taxi to get.

>>>>>

"She's been getting into databases I know Tom would have no reason to look at," Cassy confirmed as she hung up the phone.

"What if she's been drugging him? The long term effects of this stuff is just as bad as too much at one time," Sykes's partner Jack Herrera hypothesized.

"It would explain why a sharp cop like Ryan was taken in by this con woman, other than the obvious reasons," the leer in Sykes's voice was obvious.

Cassy rolled her eyes. She couldn't understand how men could be so taken with the wrapping of the package they missed what was inside.

"Can we keep this quiet until it checks out?" Cassy looked at the two officers she had taken into her confidence. The last thing she wanted was for Tom's humiliation become common knowledge among the massive task force they had assembled and the press. IF Virginia wasn't involved all of this would go away. If it wasn't...Cassy didn't even want to think about it. Tom wouldn't want her help anyway, he had made that abundantly clear.

>>>>>>>  
Key Largo Water Taxi

Tom knew from years on the force that Mundson didn't let just anyone onto his island and he probably wouldn't want a Palm Beach police officer nosing around. But he had some business with his fiancé and her husband.

Tom let out a harsh laugh at the appellation.

The woman he had trusted with his heart, the woman he had trusted. What a joke.

He had accused Cassy of ruining his life but it seemed that he had managed just fine all on his own. He had known that his friends and his ex wife had never warmed up to Virginia, and in fact he had taken Cassy's instant dislike of the woman as a reason to get even more serious with the woman than he might not have otherwise. It was almost a relief to be able to admit it now. After being shot and finding his wedding band under his pillow, obviously placed there by his distraught ex wife he had waited around for weeks for some sign from Cassy that she had regretted their hasty and passionate decision to end their marriage. That she wanted and was willing to try again. Instead he watched her continue her pattern of heated, short-term love affairs. Then he had met Virginia.

A beautiful and sexy beyond words and intelligent woman who seemed to adore him. And Tom wanted to be adored. And he wanted to make sure that Cassy knew about it.

She professed to want the same things Tom wanted, a home, family and security.

He had been an easy mark.

He wondered as he looked at his shaking hands whether he had also been drugged. He should have sent those packets to the lab instead of sticking them in a file in his desk.

>>>>>>>

"Where's Tom now?" Harry asked.

"I haven't seen him in a few hours and he isn't answering his phone," Cassy sounded as worried as she felt. None of his team had seen him either.

"He's probably trying to protect his fiancé's reputation," Harry mildly rebuked his officer for not telling him of her suspicions earlier. Now he had a renegade lead detective.

"Or if he's found out about her himself he's gone to try and find her himself, to convince her to give herself up," Cassy said grimly.

"Key Nuevo," Harry slammed his fist on the desk. "If they're not the perpetrators on this case there will be hell to pay for all of us disappearing."

"You're coming too?" Cassy wasn't really surprised. Harry was their friend as well as their boss.

"Damn right I am. The Governor wants the state to take lead in the case and I've resisted. This might be the perfect time to hand over the reins and slip off. I'll make a few phone calls. I'm going to have to tell them about Virginia and Archer and ask them to keep quiet," Harry told her.

Cassy wanted to argue but couldn't.

"I'll wait a few hours before informing them," Harry whispered conspiratorially.

"Good," Cassy stood up and walked out of the office, trying not to think too hard about whether any of them would have badges when all of this was over.

>>>>>>>>

"You're risking your badges if you come. We're not going to tell the Sheriff's office about them until we have a chance to check it out ourselves," Cassy warned Sykes and Herrera.

"He's a fellow officer," Sykes wouldn't be dissuaded from coming with Harry and Cassy.

Cassy was glad to have the back up. If Mundson was in on the plot there was no telling what kind of reception they might get. Cassy had a strong suspicion, however, that Mundson was not aware of the murders whatever else he might be into with the Archers. Gangsters usually didn't involve themselves in serial murders.

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
Friday, April 30, 1999  
7:45 pm  
>>>>>>>>

Cassy leaned over the side of the boat that functioned as a water taxi to Key Nuevo. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply of the cold ocean air. An ironic smile tilted across her features and the expression was so uncharacteristic that anyone who had bothered to look at her would notice even in the semi-darkness. The ironic smile was caused by the self-awareness that for once in her life she wasn't plowing ahead with a plan or a list.

Even during her tumultuous time as Tom's wife and she had made the horrible decision to leave him she knew exactly where she was going and how she was going to do what she needed done. Even after she was shunned by the Department for turning in Burkow and needed a partner she knew just what to do. There were always things or people to cling to during her life, her mother's disdain, her grandmother's love or her goals. And eventually, Tom's love. Without even realizing it, perhaps until this moment, underneath her fastidiousness and determination she had always had Tom's love and friendship to support her. Without those things she suddenly found herself adrift.

It was the irony of making that discovery while standing on the prow of a boat that caused the ironic smile. How many opportunities had she blown?

Harry had confirmed with their captain that a few hours ago Tom had himself taken this very boat to the island. The operator had also confirmed that Virginia, along with their mystery man from the raves that John had described had arrived there the day before and had been there many times before. Cassy was pretty certain that this mystery man was Archer, Virginia's husband. But instead of wondering how she would do damage control for Tom's emotional well-being or imagining a thousand tortures for the beautiful murderer or working out a strategy with her fellow officers she was, for once in her life, taking five minutes to ponder the possibilities and feel the timelessness of the world around her. What was the sense of looking where you were going when you had no idea where that would be?

Cassy closed her eyes and let the wind wash over her face and throw her hair out behind her. She was surprisingly glad that the sun was almost completely over the horizon. The sunshine wouldn't suit the darkness that had invaded her heart. Nor would it suit the job they had set out to do that night. If Tom didn't already hate her, and by his own words he seemed to, then surely he would hate her when she finished exposing his loving fiancée for the deceitful murderer that she was and hauled her off to jail. It brought her no satisfaction, no matter how secretly jealous she was of the woman to, once again, be responsible for humiliating Tom in front of his macho peers. The first time had been when she had left him. This time would be so much worse. This time she would reveal him not as a man who couldn't keep his wife, but now he would be seen as a cop who allowed himself to be taken in by a murdering con woman. Cassy almost hated herself for what she had to do even though she had no control over the situation. Except to have prevented Tom from being available to the woman.

If Cassy thought for one moment that it would make it easier on Tom if she just killed the woman during the arrest she would do it. Cassy knew two things for certain that made such thoughts futile. One is that it would only make things even messier than they were already destined to be. The second was that Tom would grieve over this woman. Even now she could _feel _Tom hoping against hope that Virginia was just a helpless victim in all this and that he could save her. Tom wouldn't be Tom if he didn't try and believe in the people he let himself love. He wouldn't be Tom if he didn't pour his heart and soul into his relationships.

Of course, there was also the matter of the drugs. If they could prove that Virginia and her druggist husband had been drugging Tom it would explain a lot about his behavior of late - how he would overlook Virginia's animosity and cruelty and why he was taken in by the femme fatale to the point he was ready to marry her. It might ease the sting? It did for Cassy's heart.

Cassy's eyes drifted to the bare ring finger of her left hand. She would never admit it but sometimes she felt the phantom weight of the wedding band that she had spent so little time wearing. Tonight was one of those nights. Even as far apart as she knew they were, she felt closer to him than she had in a long time. It was almost like she could see into his heart and see the pain he was going through. She wondered whether Tom had kept the matching one to the one she kept in her dresser drawer.

'Stop it!' she straightened her shoulders and squared her back. She would have plenty of time for maudlin thoughts after they took care of this case and Tom. Of course, she knew she would never allow herself such weakness again.

"Sykes, let me see that map of the complex again?" she requested in a crisp voice.

>>>>>>>

_"Is this why you were brought into my life? You've done nothing but ruin it from the first day we met. You break my heart and betray my trust and now you're doing your best to ruin my relationship with Virginia. Just as you've ruined every relationship since we met! You talk too much about your partner Tom. You're partners with your ex-wife Tom? Why do you call her when I'm in the bathroom Tom? It's done. After this case Harry's going to have to find someone who's willing to work with you!"_

The words he had spoken in the heat of anger and betrayal kept echoing through his mind. Even as he faced down the over confident and obviously steroid-reliant Sidney down to gain entrance to the Bernard Mundson's private casino resort where, according to the kid who ran the water taxi and who was more conversational when his father wasn't around, Virginia and her man often came and stayed.

Ironically, and inconveniently, his overriding goal wasn't to confront Virginia or her husband or solve the serial murder case he was entrusted with or to save his career, no all of that were things he needed to finish with so he could find Cassy and ask her if there was any way she could forgive him. Cassy was tough, but she wasn't all that strong and he knew just how much his words must have hurt her. Especially coming from _him_, someone who rarely ever said hurtful things to her. _He_ who gave her Valentine's Day gifts even in the midst of a painful divorce that included a hand carved keepsake box and coupons for his kisses. Words he had said to someone who saved that box and the coupons. Someone who had kept the wedding band she had claimed to have sold to make investments.

Someone he had been hoping would come around and admit she still loved him and wanted to give their romantic relationship a real chance, until he had met the woman who, by all appearances, had used him, drugged him and might just be one of the murderers he was looking for.

No Sidney wasn't going to stand in his way of finding Virginia or getting back to Cassy.

>>>>>>>

"What's the chance that we can walk up to the reception desk and ask for the room numbers of their registered murderers and renegade cops?" Detective Steve Mason asked.

"I think then they would just point you towards the guest rooms given their clientele," Sykes said dryly.

"Maybe you could use your identification and pretend you're Virginia's brother?"

No one bothered to comment since it was unlikely she was checked in with her "stage" name rather than her husband's name. There was, however, an uncomfortable silence that Harry finally broke.

"We might have jurisdiction but I'm sure Mundson knows enough to try and shield his clientele from police presence during their temporary stay at his safe haven. He'll cooperate. I agree with Cassy that it's unlikely he would dirty his hands with something so insane and without financial return. I doubt he's even aware that his friends are involved in these activities, or if he knows of their propensity he'd turn over on them in a minute if we come knocking," Harry broke the silence.

"Our largest concern is going to be Virginia and her partner. They are not only con artists but murderers. We need to go in there assuming that they're armed and not very well balanced. We also have to presume that Tom has found them. He might be a prisoner or he might be working some way of capturing them. We are facing many unknowns until we are on the ground. Someone needs to make contact with Mundson, we need to case the place and we need to find Tom, all at the same time," Cassy felt a minor sense of ease that her mind was once again focusing on the "case."

>>>>>>>

It didn't take long for Virginia to appear.

Tom had decided against trying to ascertain her room number knowing she was there with her _husband. _Despite his suspicions, he didn't know that she was involved with the murderer they were looking for. The only thing he knew is that she wasn't where she said she was and hadn't been for weeks, maybe for the entire time they had known each other.

Well, there was the matter that she already had the husband. But after four whole months of loving each other Tom felt he had to give the benefit of the doubt. What if she was being forced into this con by the man who was her husband? Tom at least owed her the opportunity to explain herself and offer her assistance, as a police officer.

Tom turned halfway on his barstool when he heard her laugh.

Dispassionately his eyes ran from the flower in her hair, to the eye makeup, which was more heavily applied than he had ever seen on her, and down her luscious body. And her body was luscious, he acknowledged, but somehow that knowledge seemed to come from some other person's mind. For the first time since he had seen her his body wasn't stirring at the sight of her. He remembered the first time he saw her like it was yesterday.

They had been at a private party at a club downtown. He hadn't been dating anyone at the time, in fact, he hadn't been dating anyone since before he had been shot five months earlier. He had been waiting and hoping that Cassy would finally break down and admit that she still loved him and wanted to try again. He had even gotten a kiss at the stroke of midnight at New Year's Eve a month earlier and he had thought they had finally gotten there when the evening didn't end with just a kiss. By the time he had woken up the next morning Cassy was gone. Later she had apologized for both leaving and letting herself get carried away. She had told him she had been lonely and tipsy and hadn't meant to use him. Not bothering to call her a liar Tom had shrugged it all off. So there he was living out his annual resolution to get over Cassy and find someone else to love. Then he had seen Virginia.

Across the crowded dance floor she moved with a confidence and audacity that fascinated him. Her long hair, arms and legs combined to make a picture of a goddess dancing in their midst. Emboldened by his resolution and his favorite, new, jacket he made his way to her on the dance floor and without a word pulled her against him and turned her solo into a more intimate ritual. From that moment they hadn't been apart.

Except when she was away on photo shoots.

Tom's hand clenched around his double of whisky. The condensation dripped down his hand almost sizzling against his palpable rage. Despite his newest resolution to listen to her explanation suspicions blared loudly in his head. Could she have drugged him that very first night? Had she already chosen him to be the dupe? He took a last slug of his drink as his eyes burned into her bare back. At least he was pretty sure this drink wasn't drugged. And even if it was he didn't care, because to suddenly feel no desire for the woman that he had believed he would spend the rest of his life with was almost more painful than her betrayal. It was as if he had betrayed himself.

Without any more hesitation Tom slid off his stool and made his way toward the crowd of men surrounding her.

>>>>>>>

"So why don't you explain?" Tom forcibly let go of Virginia's arm as soon as they entered his room. He watched, without sympathy, as she stumbled over her heels. He almost wished she had fallen on the floor so he could tower over her. He didn't bother to turn on the lights.

"What are you doing here?" she asked breathlessly, again. She had asked him that when he had appeared in front of her. He didn't know whether to be satisfied or disgusted by her reaction. Her eyes had widened, her pupils dilated and her breathing had noticeably sped up, at least to him and probably the other men standing around vying for her attention. He would have thought it was fear if he hadn't seen her nipples harden under the thin cotton material crisscrossing her full breasts. She had asked him then how he had ended up there.

"Actually, that's my question dear fiancee," he carefully modulated his voice, and stayed so that he blocked the door. His eyes darted to the french doors behind her and noted that one of them was unlocked. Slowly he advanced on her and made sure she couldn't go in either direction.

"My shoot was moved here," she said breathlessly, running her eyes over him in a seductive manner he couldn't mistake even in the darkness of the room. It did nothing for him.

He walked until he was brushing against her body. He held himself stiffly as she pressed herself against him. As her arms circled his neck his teeth clenched and he slid an around her waist and held her firm. Then he reached behind her and snapped on the table lamp. Then he pushed her away.

"It's time to shed a little light on this situation don't you think?" Tom practically growled. He felt himself finally reacting to her, he was bitterly satisfied at the startled and fearful look that spread across her face as she looked at him.

"What's wrong? Did you think I was always affable and easy Tom Ryan? I am a cop. I don't catch murderers by smiling at them and charming them into surrendering," he mocked.

"I know you're a good cop Tom. You found me didn't you?" Virginia flipped her hair back over her shoulder and looked up at him.

"I did. Not that you tried to hide your whereabouts very hard. Never thought I would be onto you did you?" Tom asked.

"Actually, I thought it would be your partner who would try and check me out. She never liked me Tom," she managed to hiss and whine at the same time.

"You're not too far off the mark. It was Cassy who first suspected you might be a murderer," Tom studied her closely for a reaction.

"A murderer?" Virginia repeated in shock.

Tom had to hand it to her. Either she had no involvement or she was a real pro.

"The case I'm working on," he prompted.

"Those women. You think I murdered them? I thought they were raped," she looked confused now.

"Where is your husband Mrs. Archer?" Tom's lips widened into a feral smile.

>>>>>>>

"According to the bellboy that's Archer over there," Sykes pointed to a man standing with a group of other men in the outdoor patio of the hotel.

Cassy and Sykes were standing to on the path surrounding the densely forested atrium. Harry and Mason had split off from them and were talking with Mundson and "requesting" his cooperation with their taking the Archers into custody and bringing them back to Palm Beach.

"He doesn't look that old," Sykes observed.

"To a bunch of college kids I bet he does," Cassy pointed out as her eyes bored into the man who was probably responsible for the deaths of probably countless women. A simple DNA test would cancel out the probably.

"We need to get him alone, his associates are probably armed," Sykes's expression was just as determined as Cassy's.

Before either of them could suggest a plan Virginia appeared and lured her husband away from the crowd.

Sharing a silent glance Cassy and Sykes followed.

>>>>>>>

"There must be a way in to that room from the outside," Cassy said as they heard Virginia's door close behind her and her husband.

"Climbing up the balconies," Sykes didn't sound thrilled by the prospect. "Why don't you go find Harry and Mason and I'll try and climb in. You can bust in with them."

"Or we you could find Harry and I'll climb up," Cassy said with raised eyebrows.

"Fine, wait ten minutes first all right? And don't cheat, I've heard about you Jane Wayne," Sykes warned.

"Is that from now or when I get outside?" Cassy asked with a wink.

>>>>>>

Cassy looked at her watch again, still another seven minutes.

Despite the darkness, it was still hot on this island. If she wasn't already jonesing to hop up the balcony to the second floor just to get her hands on Virginia, she would be just for the air conditioning, she thought as she wiped the perspiration off her forehead with the tail of her shirt.

Before she dropped her shirt, a hand suddenly grasped her neck and a needle silently entered her arm.

Then all was black.

End of Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

Warning: Bad Language and sexual behavior

>>>>>>>  
Chapter 9  
Key Nuevo Island  
Now  
>>>>>

"Where's Archer?" Tom asked Virginia as soon as he entered the hotel room.

Virginia pressed her finger to her lips but didn't bother answering as she turned and led him, her hips swaying seductively, into the main room of the suite.

"I'm right here, just as my wife promised," Marcus Archer appeared from the bedroom of the suite. The dark-haired man appeared to be in his early forties, a handsome man actually, but it was the gun he had pointed at Tom that caught Tom's attention.

"You double crossed me you..." Tom's voice lashed out as his body longed to do once he realized what was going on.

"You're just too good Thomas Patrick Ryan," Virginia shrugged nonchalantly and went to stand beside her husband. She curled her hand around his neck and nuzzled her nose along the side of his face. "You'd think you'd know better by now considering what you do for a living."

"Put your gun on the floor and kick it over her," Archer ordered, ignoring Virginia.

Seething but powerless Tom complied. Virginia stopped fondling her husband and bent down and picked up the gun. She unloaded it and tossed it onto one of the suite's couches. With a confirmatory glance at her husband she moved forward to stand in front of Tom.

"What do you plan to do with me?" he asked.

"You'll see," she murmured and slipped his jacket off his shoulders to the floor. Then she began to undo the knot of his tie. Without flourish she slid it off his neck and dropped it to the floor. Then she began to undo his shirt buttons. Soon his shirt joined his tie on the floor.

Tom held himself rigid as she undressed him, his eye flickered curiously towards Virginia's husband as he watched his wife begin to run her tongue over Tom's chest and neck. Archer didn't say a word, but his eyes glittered and he continued to hold the gun on them. When he didn't respond she took his hand and placed it on her breast. Archer still didn't intervene. It wasn't until his wife threw her head back and moaned that he put a stop to her seduction.

"Stop it Virginia! We have better things, people, to do. Show Detective Ryan our other guest," he ordered his wife.

"Fine," Virginia purred as she bent down and carelessly pulled Tom's shirt back over his body, but she didn't bother buttoning it up before she took his hand and led him further into the suite. She guided him around until he could see what was on the couch that faced away from where he had been standing after entering the room.

"Cassy!" Tom exclaimed and tried to reach the woman who lay unconscious on the couch.

"Nuh, uh Ryan. Back away or not only will I put a bullet into you, I'll make sure you live long enough to watch what I have planned for your lovely partner. Or should I say ex-wife," Marcus Archer's lips were curled in sadistic pleasure as he made his threat. All semblance of civilized control had slipped away leaving Tom face to face with a truly sick individual.

'A truly sick serial killer,' Tom amended as Virginia forced him to sit down in a chair facing Cassy who was beginning to stir. 'I'll get you out of this,' he vowed. He wasn't sure how, but he would.

>>>>>>>>  
Forty-five minutes ago  
>>>>>>>>

"You're not too far off the mark. It was Cassy who first suspected you might be a murderer," Tom studied her closely for a reaction.

"A murderer?" Virginia repeated in shock.

Tom had to hand it to her. Either she had no involvement or she was a real pro.

"The case I'm working on," he prompted, crossing his legs and he appeared to make himself more comfortable in his seat for the scene unfolding before him.

"Those women. You think I murdered them? I thought they were raped," she looked confused now.

"Where is your husband Mrs. Archer?" Tom's lips widened into a feral smile.

Virginia seemed to shrink back from the danger she saw in her normally placid lover's eyes.

"It's not what you think, I can explain," she said nervously.

"You do that. Why not start at the beginning," Tom sat down and waited for the pacing woman to begin her explanation.

"You don't know my husband Tom, he's a dangerous man. I don't know anything about these murders, but my husband does have an illegal business. He runs a gambling ring, he wanted me to get in with a cop so that I could infiltrate the department computer systems and monitor the investigation. He threatened to kill me if I didn't," she told him.

"Why me then, I'm in homicide not organized crime," Tom asked dubiously.

"It didn't matter what department, in fact, it was better that you weren't part of the investigation. You still had access to the computer system and I could avoid any cops who might recognize me. Homicide detectives always seem to hang out amongst themselves more than other departments," she told him. "It was only supposed to be for a short time, but Marcus and his friends got greedy because the cops seemed unable to identify them. I tried to get out but he wouldn't let me. He threatened to kill both of us and your partner."

"You two must have shared a big laugh when I proposed," Tom stated without apparent emotion.

"It meant a lot to me Tom. I know you can't believe that right now, but you have no idea how much I wished, I still wish, I could be free to marry you. How much I want to be the person you thought I was. I know I can be Tom, if you give me another chance. It's no excuse for what I've become, but I met Marcus when I was really young. My family, we were very poor and he was a dashing older man who promised to take me away from all that. He promised to make me a star. Obviously he lied, but by the time I realized it I was already in too deep. He knows where my family is Tom and he made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt them. I know that. As long as I stay loyal he helps them out, financially, and stays away from them, physically," Virginia had thrown herself at Tom's feet during her confession and there were tears running down her face.

"He's angry now. I had to lie and come see him. He knows that I'm in love with you. He wants to kill you. He doesn't care about your access any more. He's moving his business from South Florida and he said we're moving on," she finished, looking up at Tom with a pleading gaze.

"So were you just going to disappear without a word?" he asked stonily.

"I don't know if I could, but that was the plan. His plan. You have to help me. I can help you stop him. If you put him away I'll be free. My family will be safe. We can be together if you'll still have me," she said in an urgent whisper.

"Please say something," she pleaded a few moments later when he still hadn't responded.

"How can you help me?" he finally asked.

>>>>>>  
Now  
>>>>>

"Tom," Cassy croaked when she saw him sitting across from her.

"Don't bother getting up Cassandra," Virginia obviously took much pleasure in her position of power over the other woman.

Tom watched as Cassy ceased her attempts to sit up and sank back down onto the couch. From his vantage point he could see that she was still groggy and he made the decision that he had to do something sooner rather than later to get them out of there. He couldn't wait for Cassy to be completely cognizant because he didn't know how long that would take. He had to find some way to find out if she came alone.

As he completed the last thought he saw Cassy's fingers fold until she was displaying three of them.

'Three! There are three other cops here with her. Good girl!' he applauded her with his eyes. She might be physically weak, but apparently her faculties were returning faster than she was letting on.

He pretended to be looking over her, but from his peripheral vision he saw her point towards the floor.

'So they know what room we are in,' Tom gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

"So much for being a poor abused wife," Tom sneered at his erstwhile fiancee.

"I wondered exactly how you lured him here. Even better than what I thought. That's my girl," Marcus complimented his wife and moved from his position by the bedroom door to sit on the side of the couch upon which Cassy was lying. Virginia moved closer to allow him to practically pet her.

"How touching," Tom sneered.

"I don't think you're in any position to judge Detective Ryan. In fact, you're not in a very good position at all. Not unlike many of my dear wife's marks. They're all dead, which you will be soon. But first my wife insisted that I show you what we do using your dear partner before we leave the country. I do have to applaud you, though. No one has ever gotten this close to us. But you and your partner will be dead soon enough," Marcus acted as if he was giving a sincere compliment rather than a sick threat.

"Let's not wait any longer," Virginia sounded eager.

"Of course. Tie up your fiancé first," Marcus laughed at the appellation. "And you'd better cooperate Missy or I'll shoot your partner," he warned Cassy.

Virginia used Tom's handcuffs to secure Tom to the chair and then looked towards her husband for his approval and direction. At his nod she moved eagerly ahead and kneeled in front of Cassy. She ran a finger down the prone woman's cheek and then leaned down for a kiss.

>>>>>>>  
Earlier  
>>>>>>

"How can you help me?" Tom asked.

"I can get him away from his pals then you can take him into custody and I can convince Mundson to let you take him back to Palm Beach. I can testify against him. I know about everything and where everything is. About his gambling ring, about his friends, about things he's done in other places, his accounts. We can get him locked away for the rest of his life. All I ask is that you get me some protection for me and my family. Get them into the witness protection program or something. Then you and I can be together," she promised.

"Don't you want to enter into the program?" he looked down at her still kneeling in front of him on the floor.

"No. You can protect me, I know you can. I just want to prove to you that I'm worthy of your love. I won't leave you like your first wife did," she assured him.

"Don't ever compare yourself to Cassy. She would never allow herself to be dominated by a man like Archer or help him commit his crimes," Tom stood up and walked away from her to look out into the dark patio.

"I'm not proud of what I've done. All I meant is that I would never leave you Tom. I'd do anything never to hurt you again. I swear it," she said tearfully from her position on the floor. "We have so many dreams Tommy. I want to make them come true. I want to have your children."

"Then why are you still on the pill?" he spun around and demanded.

"Because Marcus would kill it," she whispered in horror at the thought.

Tom's face was still stiff, but she could see the softening of his eyes.

"I have a plan," Virginia stood up and wiped her cheeks. She watched and waited for him to agree.

"Tell me your plan," he asked.

>>>>>>>>  
Now  
>>>>>>>

"Don't touch her! Don't you fucking touch her. I'll kill you!" Tom, enraged, fought against his restraints as he watched Virginia molest his partner.

"You're right love, this is so much more enjoyable," Marcus moved to stand by Tom and pressed the gun to his head. With his free hand he began to rub himself through his pants.

Tom felt sick as he saw Virginia begin to run her hands over Cassy's body.

"You impotent scum," Tom growled only to feel the butt of the gun hit him on the side of the head.

"You shut the fuck up you stupid prick! You shut up! You shut up!" Marcus was waving his gun around and screaming.

Tom struggled to open his eyes and fight against the blackness that was trying to claim him. He knew he had to stay conscious and somehow find a way to protect Cassy. When he opened his eyes he saw Virginia was trying to calm her raving husband. Tom knew when he saw the look in the man's eyes that, without a doubt, that he would be dead any moment.

"Move out of my way bitch. I'm tired of you trying to protect him!" Archer violently shoved his wife to the floor.

As if in slow motion Tom saw Archer point the gun at Tom's head and begin to squeeze the trigger.

>>>>>>>  
Earlier  
>>>>>>

"So you'll lure him to room 212 and I'll just come in and arrest him?" Tom seemed to feel that it all sounded too easy.

"I'll try and get him to take off his gun, but he usually won't. Especially while we're here. Wait for half an hour after I leave here and then knock twice so that I know it's you. We have a suite so I'll keep him in the bedroom so he doesn't hear or see you come in," she told him, all signs of insecurity and fear gone as she told him of her simple plan.

"Why did you come to me sooner?" he asked. He had to believe her fear of her husband. He had spent four months with this woman, making love to her and plans with her for the rest of her lives. It couldn't all be a lie. It just couldn't.

"I was afraid to see the look in your eyes that I saw when you came in here. I knew I couldn't bear it," her eyes filled with despair as he flinched when she tried to stroke his cheek. "I'll make it up to you I promise. I'll see you in half an hour."

With a quick look back at Tom she slipped out.

After she was gone Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if he believed her now when she claimed she and Archer had nothing to do with the murders, but he would take her help in getting Archer into custody. Then he could get back to Palm Beach and beg Cassy to forgive him for the harsh words he vented on her when she suggested that Virginia might be mixed up in the murders they were investigating. And forgive him for ditching her on this case.

With her in mind he picked up the room phone and dialed her cellular phone number. He had to tell her that the Archers might be a dead end and to see whether there were any further developments in the case. A few minutes later he slammed the phone down in frustration. She wasn't answering her cell phone and no one at the Department had seen her in a couple of hours. He almost asked for Harry but was told that he wasn't there either. He hoped she wasn't off somewhere without backup.

'Especially not with a killer out there who likes model beautiful women,' he thought worriedly and lifted the phone again to try and track down Harry or Sykes. Sykes was sure to notice where Cassy had gone.

>>>>>>>  
Now  
>>>>>>

Tom's eyes shut as he waited for the impact of the gun.

'Forgive me Cassy, I love you,' was his "last" thought before he heard the sound of a gunshot. But instead of feeling the burning pain of the shot hitting him he heard a cacophony of noise and opened his eyes to a blur of colors that appeared to be bodies.

He blinked a few times to clear his still hazy vision only to see Cassy being helped up by Mason from a prone position on top of Marcus Archer who was being cuffed by Detective Sykes. Harry was similarly cuffing Virginia. In relief Tom began to let go of his struggle to remain conscious.

"Tom, stay with me, are you all right?" Tom opened his eyes again to find Cassy kneeling in front of him as he felt his cuffs being unlocked. Cassy grabbed his free hands and was rubbing his wrists to jump start the painful process of returning the feeling to his numb hands.

"You cut your wrist struggling against the cuffs," she told him as she let him flex his hands on his own and she reached up to button up his shirt.

"You're speaking to me?" Tom asked stupidly.

"For now, but we have a lot to discuss when you're up to it. In the meantime, do you think you can walk or do we need to have the coast guard out here?" she stood up and began to take a look at the lump on the right side of his head.

"I'm fine now," Tom assured her and began to stand. He listed a bit but felt almost fine as soon as she let him lean some of his weight on her shoulders. And it was true, aside from a pounding head, he was feeling much better now that he was standing, alive and with his arm around Cassy who was similarly safe and alive.

"What about you?" he asked as the backup Harry had called for began to arrive.

"They shot me up with something, I don't know what, but it's mostly worn off," she explained as she began to walk him out of the now crowded room.

"You need to get checked out," Tom said worriedly.

"I will if you will," Cassy offered the trade.

"You have a deal," Tom winced when he tried to nod.

End (except Epilogue)


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue  
Palm Beach General Hospital  
>>>>>>>

"How's your head?" Cassy asked as she looked down at her partner lying on the hospital bed where he was being held overnight for observation.

"Well, I learned that being hit with the gun is not as painful as being shot by it. I could have lived without that perspective," Tom winced.

"It is kind of assumed," Cassy agreed.

"Did I thank you for saving my life?" Tom looked at his partner in admiration.

"A few times on our way back, when you weren't turning green on the boat," Cassy smiled at him before her expression turned serious.

"Tell me," Tom asked quietly.

"I spoke with Harry a short while ago. He's finished booking the Archers and they're being held until arraignment tomorrow morning. Virginia is rolling over on her dear husband and it'll be fight between Alexander, the other D.A.'s and the feds as to who gets to prosecute first. I bet there will be some other states stepping up before this is all done. We're going to need a statement from you when you're up to it. I'm sorry Tom, about Virginia, that things didn't work out," Cassy finished uncomfortably.

"I know, thanks. Did he say anything else?" Tom said tiredly, his eyes sad.

"Apparently the Archers are con artists from way back, at least Marcus is. The murdering women is a new twist. Seems you hit the nail on the head when you accused him of being impotent. Watching women together was always a fetish but it took an ugly turn when he found himself only able to be aroused that way. The killings started last year in Louisiana. Apparently the fact that his wife had a virile man as a mark didn't help his obsession too much and the killings escalated. We figure they would have anyway, these types of sickos always get greedy," Cassy told him as she watched him steadily for a reaction. When he didn't respond she brushed the hair off his forehead and planted a kiss there.

"You get some rest, I'll come back tomorrow," Cassy turned to go.

"Cass, wait. There's some things I need to say to you," Tom stopped her from leaving.

"We don't have to do this now," Cassy returned to stand by the side of his bed.

"Yes, yes we do Cass. I said some things, things I didn't mean. You have to believe that. I was lashing out at you because you suggested something that...that if it were true would take away the entire foundation of my life. It's not just that I would be so dreadfully wrong as a man, am wrong, but calls into question my competency as a cop. But that isn't your fault Cass and I'm sorry," Tom had grasped Cassy's hand during his apology.

"And you were already angry at me for what happened New Year's Eve," Cassy whispered.

Tom dropped her hand and lowered his eyes.

"We never talked about it. I never let us talk about it. Not really. We agreed that it was a mistake and we agreed to forget about it. But you didn't. You were angry with me and it made you vulnerable to Virginia. So in a way, this was my fault. I did screw up your life," with a tired sigh Cassy sat down and covered her face with her hands.

"Cass..." Tom began.

"It's my turn," Cassy moved her hands and gave him a tired smile.

"I know, but I didn't ask how you're doing. What did the doctor say?" he asked quietly, giving her a chance to compose herself.

"It was a small amount of chemically altered midazolam, an intravenous anesthesia. It was altered to make it act faster. I'm supposed to go home and rest and call in if I get dizzy or something," she told him.

"Are you sure you should be alone tonight?" Tom asked worriedly.

"I won't be. Brett is coming home with me," she admitted, her eyes downcast.

"Oh, well, that's good. You should probably get home and rest," Tom tried to hide his hurt at the revelation.

"No, Tom, not like this. We need to talk about New Year's. And about the future, when you're ready," Cassy couldn't hide her fear any more than Tom could hide his pain, but she squared her chin and looked him squarely in the eyes.

"What future?" Tom asked bitterly.

"Our future. About where we go from here," Cassy said gently.

"Cassy, I don't know where _I'm_ going from here. I don't know if I'll still be with the department tomorrow," Tom looked away.

"Don't say that. You're a good cop Tom. We need you, I...I need you," Cassy vehemently disgreed.

"So good that I lived with a con artist and sadistic murderer for four months and asked her to be the mother of my children," Tom scoffed.

"She manipulated you and she drugged you. None of us knew she was anything but a...what she appeared to be. I only mentioned her as a suspect because I recognized her voice. I think she wanted to get caught. I wouldn't be surprised if Marcus didn't manipulate and abuse her to get where she is today. Deep down she had to have the good that you saw in her. I really believe that Tom. That doesn't make you a bad cop, it just makes you a good person," Cassy told him. "Besides, if you leave who else is going to put up with me as a partner?"

"That is true," Tom tried to force a smile.

"You know where we go from here? We get to tomorrow and then we keep taking it one day at a time, okay? I'm here for you Tom whenever you need me," Cassy leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Good night," Tom's eyes closed and he began to fall asleep.

"Always Tom. I'll always be here for you," Cassy promised as she turned off the lights and walked out.

End of Story


End file.
